THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PUBLICATIONS 
IN   RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

EDITED  BY 

ERNEST  D.   BURTON  SHAILER  MATHEWS 

THEODORE  G.  SOARES 


CONSTRUCTIVE  STUDIES 


THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO.  ILLINOIS 


TOE  BAKER  A  TAYLOR  COMPANY 


THE  CAMBRIDGE  UNIVERSITY 


THE  MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA 

TOITO,   OSAIA,   ITOTO,  TOIDOIA,  BIKD1I 

THE  MISSION  BOOK  COMPANY 


THE  LIFE  OF 
JESUS 


A  MANUAL   FOR  TEACHERS    OF  CHILDREN  FROM 
TEN  TO  TWELVE  YEARS  OF  AGE 


By 

HERBERT  WRIGHT  GATES 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


COPYRIGHT  1906  BY 
THE  UNIVERSITY  or  CHICAGO 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Preprinted  in  four  pamphlets 
October  1906— May  1007 

Published  June  1007 
Second  Impression  October  1008 

Third  Impression  April  1910 

Fourth  Impression  December  1911 

Fifth  Impression  November  1913 

Sixth  Impression  November  1916 

Seventh  Impression  September  1918 


Composed  and  Printed  By 

The  University  of  Chicago  Press 

Chicago.  Illinois.  U.S.A. 


TO  MY  WIFE 

IN   GRATEFUL  RECOGNITION 

OF   ACTIVE   HELP   AND   SYMPATHETIC 

ENCOURAGEMENT 


PREFACE 

The  outline  course  on  the  life  of  Jesus,  which 
this  Manual  is  designed  to  accompany,  has  been  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  need  for  work  especially  adapted 
to  the  spiritual  and  intellectual  needs  of  pupils  in 
the  intermediate  grades  of  the  Bible  school,  and  is 
the  outcome  of  several  years  of  experimentation  in 
practical  use.  The  course  is  intended  for  boys  and 
girls  of  from  ten  to  thirteen  years  of  age,  who  would 
ordinarily  be  found  in  the  fifth  to  seventh  grades  of 
the  public  school. 

The  attempt  has  been  made  to  furnish  a  course 
that  shall  give  occupation  for  hand  and  eye  as  well 
as  for  brain,  that  shall  be  sufficiently  varied  in  treat- 
ment to  sustain  interest,  and  that  shall  result  in  a 
clear,  vivid  conception  of  the  life  and  character  of 
Jesus  Christ,  so  far  as  these  may  be  grasped  by  pupils 
of  the  ages  mentioned.  The  test  already  given  these 
lessons  has  proven  that  such  results  can  be  secured 
through  intelligent  use. 

It  is  to  be  noted,  however,  that  no  system  of  les- 
sons can  supersede  the  work  of  the  teacher.  While 
every  effort  has  been  made  to  furnish  an  effective 
instrument,  success  in  its  use  must  rest  largely  with 
the  individual  teacher.  Some  general  suggestions 
on  the  method  of  using  the  lessons  are  therefore  given 

vii 


viii  PREFACE 

at  the  beginning  of  this  Manual,  which  should  be 
carefully  studied  before  taking  up  the  work,  and  re- 
viewed from  time  to  time  throughout  the  course. 

I  wish  to  acknowledge  with  gratitude  the  valued 
assistance  of  Professor  Edward  T.  Harper,  to  whom 
the  original  idea  of  this  course  is  due,  and  who  gave 
many  helpful  suggestions  during  its  development; 
also  that  of  Professor  Ernest  D.  Burton,  whose 
editorial  suggestions  have  added  greatly  to  the  value 
of  the  work. 

H.  W.  G. 


CONTENTS 

PACK 

Preface vii 

Suggestions  to  Teachers xi 

Books  Recommended  for  Reference  Work      ....  xxiii 

Note  on  Frontispiece  and  Title  Page xxvi 

Introduction— -Palestine  and  Its  People 

§    i.  The  Land  Where  Jesus  Lived i 

§    2.  The  People  Among  Whom  Jesus  Lived     ...  5 

Chapter  I.     The  Infancy  of  Jesus 

§    3.  His  Parents 14 

§   4.  The  Manger  Cradle  at  Bethlehem        ....  20 
§   5-  Wise  Men  from  the  East  and  the  Schemes  of 

Herod 23 

Chapter  II.     The  Boyhood  of  Jesus 

§   6.  At  Home  and  at  School        28 

§   7.  A  Visit  to  Jerusalem 33 

§   8.  Review  of  Introduction  and  Chapters  I  and  II    .  39 

Chapter  III.     Jesus  Beginning  His  Work 

§   9.  His  Baptism 40 

§  10.  Conquering  Temptation .  46 

§11.  First  Followers 51 

§  12.  Jesus  at  a  Wedding  Feast 54 

§  13.  Rebuking  the  Traders  in  the  Temple  ....  58 

Chapter  IV.    Jesus  Organizing  His  Work 

§  14.  Calling  Disciples 62 

§  15.  A  Sabbath  Day  in  Capernaum 67 

§  1 6.  Doing  Good  on  the  Sabbath 70 

ix 


x  CONTENTS 

§17.  Choosing  Apostles 75 

§  18.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount        80 

§19.  Review  of  Chapters  III  and  IV 86 

Chapter  V.    Jesus  Among  the  People 

§  20.  The  Centurion's  Servant 88 

§21.  Forgiving  the  Penitent 89 

§  22.  A  Storm  on  the  Sea 92 

§  23.  Casting  out  of  Evil  Spirits 94 

Chapter  VI.    Jesus  and  His  Disciples 

§  24.  Acknowledged  as  the  Christ 98 

§  25.  The  Cost  and  Value  of  the  Christian  Life      .     .  101 

§  26.  On  the  Mountain  at  Night 105 

§  27.  Who  Is  Greatest  in  the  Kingdom  ?       .     .     .     .  109 

§  28.  How  Often  Shall  I  Forgive  ? in 

§  29.  Review  of  Chapters  V  and  VI 113 

Chapter  VII.    Later  Words  and  Works  of  Jesus 

§  30.  The  Story  of  the  Good  Samaritan        ....  115 

§31.  The  Story  of  the  Prodigal  Son 119 

§32.  Blessing  Little  Children 121 

§33.  The  Rich  Young  Ruler 123 

§  34.  Blind  Bartimaeus 126 

§  35.  The  Visit  to  Zacchaeus 128 

Chapter  VIII.    The  Last  Days  of  Jesus  on  Earth 

§  36.  Palm  Sunday : j! 

§  37.  The  Last  Supper 133 

§  38.  The  Betrayal  and  Arrest 139 

§  39.  The  Trial  and  Crucifixion I43 

§  40.  Easter  Morning 14<j 

§41.  Later  Appearances 157 

§42.  Review  of  Chapters  VII  and  VIII        ....  155 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS 
§  i.    Plan  of  the  Course 

The  subject  of  the  course  is  the  life  of  Jesus  as 
presented  in  the  gospels,  and  more  especially  as  pre- 
sented in  the  first  three  gospels.  For  pupils  of  the 
age  for  whom  this  course  is  intended  this  simpler  story 
of  his  life  and  teachings  is  best  adapted,  and  nothing 
is  better  calculated  to  lead  them  to  a  sincere  and 
simple  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  acceptance  of 
his  leadership  for  life,  than  the  intimate  knowledge 
of  his  character  resulting  from  such  a  study.  The 
more  philosophical  interpretations  of  his  life  and 
teaching,  presented  by  other  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, belong  to  the  study  of  those  books  and  to  a 
later  period  of  the  pupil's  course. 

The  material  is  divided  into  chapters  and  sections, 
as  any  other  textbook,  rather  than  into  lessons,  one 
for  each  week.  This  secures  more  continuity  of 
work  and  makes  it  possible  for  each  class  to  proceed 
as  rapidly  or  as  slowly  as  may  be  consistent  with 
thorough  work.  The  entire  course  contains  mate- 
rial sufficient  for  a  full  year's  work,  or  may  be  covered 
in  nine  months  by  omitting  some  sections  or  by  tak- 
ing more  than  one  at  a  lesson.  Each  teacher  will  be 
governed  by  the  requirements  and  conditions  of  his 
own  class  in  determining  the  amount  to  be  done. 
d 


xu  THE    LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Should  a  section  be  found  too  long  for  a  single  les- 
son, it  will  be  better  to  give  time  enough  for  thorough 
work,  even  though  something  else  may  have  to  be 
omitted. 

The  pupil's  book  is  arranged  in  outline  form, 
with  blanks  to  be  filled  in,  so  that,  when  completed, 
each  pupil  will  have  a  life  of  Jesus  of  his  own  making. 

It  is  illustrated  with  pictures  of  various  scenes 
and  incidents,  which  will  add  vividness  and  interest 
to  the  study.  These  pictures  are  furnished  with  the 
books,  to  be  pasted  in  by  the  pupil  at  the  places 
designated.  This  provides  additional  occupation 
and  increases  the  interest  in  the  work. 

The  pupil's  book  contains  three  maps:  one 
colored,  giving  location  and  names  of  places; 
another  in  outline  only,  upon  which  the  pupil  is  to 
locate  the  various  places  mentioned  in  the  course  of 
study  as  he  comes  to  them,  and  a  third,  the  Review 
Map,  upon  which  no  marks  are  to  be  made,  being 
used  for  review  work  from  memory. 

It  is  usually  best  to  have  this  work  done  during 
the  class  session,  keeping  the  books  at  the  school 
until  completed,  when  they  become  the  property  of 
the  pupil.  In  this  case  provision  must  be  made  for 
keeping  them  in  order.  Each  class  should  have  a 
locker,  drawer,  or  box  large  enough  to  hold  the  books 
and  other  equipment  for  class  use  (see  next  para- 
graph). Cloth-covered  notion  boxes  answer  the 
purpose  very  well.  If  there  are  older  boys  in  the 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS     xiii 

school  who  are  skilful  with  tools,  it  will  help  to  en- 
list their  interest  to  have  them  make  wooden  boxes 
with  hinged  covers. 

§  2.  Additional  Material  and  Equipment  for  Class  Use 

a)  A  Bible  for  each  pupil.     The  American  Stand- 
ard Revised  version  is  recommended. 

b)  A  Bible  dictionary  or  equivalent  work.     Pe- 
loubet's  or  Davis'  will  answer  the  purpose.     If  a 
copy  cannot  be  furnished  for  each  class,  two  or  three 
duplicate  copies   should  be   placed   in   the    school 
library,  to  be  loaned  to  any  class  as  needed. 

c)  A  good  wall  map  of  Palestine,  hung  where 
the  class  may  easily  refer  to  it,  will  be  found  help- 
ful in  addition  to  the  maps  furnished  with  the  work. 
Tt  is  often  of  advantage  to  have  the  entire  class  give 
attention  to  one  map. 

d)  A  jar  of  paste  for  pasting  in  the  pictures  with 
which  the  work  is  illustrated.     Instead  of  brushes, 
which  become  stiff  when  left  with  the  paste  on  them, 
use  the  thin  wooden  splints  furnished  by  any  kinder- 
garten supply  house. 

e)  The  stereoscopic  views  of  Palestine  showing 
the  scenes  represented  in  their  true  perspective  are 
very  helpful  in  giving  the  pupil  a  vivid  idea  of  the 
country.     The  expense  of  the  stereoscopic  outfit  is 
considerable  but  it  is  a  valuable  adjunct  for  class 
or  home  work.     For  publisher  and  price  see  list  of 
books  for  reference,  p.  xxi. 


xiv  THELlFEOrjESUS 

/)  Each  class  should  have  a  table  to  work  at,  if 
possible.    If  not,  light  wooden  or  heavy  cardboard 
lapboards  may  be  made  to  answer. 
§  3.   Class  Work 

As  noted  above,  the  pupil's  book  is  prepared  for 
class  work.  Suggestions  for  home  study  are  given 
in  the  Manual  and  should  be  carefully  observed, 
but  the  filling-out  of  the  blanks  may  better  be  done 
in  the  class  hour.  This  affords  occupation  for  hand 
and  eye,  increases  interest,  and  thus  helps  to  main- 
tain order.  It  also  insures  some  work  on  the  part 
of  all  the  class,  helps  to  keep  the  class  together,  and 
leads  those  who  have  better  facilities  for  Bible  study 
to  stimulate  and  assist  the  less  fortunate. 

In  order  to  meet  the  needs  of  teachers  who  prefer 
to  have  this  work  done  at  home,  notes  are  given  in 
Part  II  of  the  pupil's  book,  covering  the  references 
for  home  reading  and  such  additional  information 
as  is  necessary  for  the  completion  of  the  pupil's  work. 
These  notes  will  also  aid  pupils  in  making  up  work 
which  they  may  have  missed  through  absence  from 
the  class  sessions. 

§4.   Individual  Work  by  Pupils 

Great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  do  too  much 
for  the  pupil.  Through  neglect  of  this  precaution 
many  teachers  defeat  the  very  objects  of  the  course — 
the  stimulation  of  the  pupil's  own  thought  and  the 
provision  of  occupation  which  shall  arouse  interest 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS       xv 

and  hold  attention.  Wherever  possible  the  pupil 
should  look  up  for  himself  all  information  called  for, 
or  be  led  by  questions  to  think  things  out  for  him- 
self. When  a  story  is  to  be  written,  the  teacher 
should  have  one  in  mind,  in  as  clear  and  concise  form 
as  possible,  but  he  should  avoid  dictating  it  to  the 
pupil.  It  is  sometimes  well  to  have  the  story  told 
orally  by  one  or  more;  sometimes  the  teacher  may 
tell  the  story  to  the  class;  but  let  each  write  his  own, 
in  his  own  words. 

This  work  will  often  seem  to  progress  slowly, 
especially  to  those  who  are  accustomed  to  the  plan 
of  covering  the  allotted  lesson  each  week,  under  other 
systems  of  study.  In  such  cases  the  teacher  will  be 
tempted  to  dictate,  or  even  to  write  out,  answers  for 
the  pupil,  or  to  trim  and  paste  in  the  pictures  him- 
self, in  the  interest  of  neatness  and  economy  of  time. 
It  should  be  steadfastly  remembered  that  all  such 
economies  are  at  the  expense  of  educational  values 
to  the  pupil.  It  is  far  better  that  he  should  cover 
less  ground  and  do  it  thoroughly,  and  that  he  should 
do  the  work  rather  than  have  it  done  for  him. 

§  5.   Memory  Work 

Memorizing  should  form  a  considerable  feature 
of  any  work  planned  for  pupils  of  this  age.  This 
has  been  provided  for  in  the  present  course.  Care 
has  been  taken  to  make  the  memory  work  an  inte- 
gral part  of  the  work  itself,  growing  naturally  out 


rvi  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

of  the  subject  studied,  instead  of  being  supplementary 
to  it  This  portion  of  the  work  should  receive  most 
careful  attention.  It  requires  pains  and  patience  to 
secure  the  faithful  performance  of  this  task,  especially 
if  the  pupil  has  fallen  into  the  habit  of  neglecting  all 
real  study  of  Sunday-school  lessons.  Nothing  can 
be  of  greater  value,  at  this  period  of  the  pupil's  life, 
than  the  storing  of  the  mind  with  choice  passages 
of  Scripture,  familiar  hymns,  and  such  extracts  as 
are  chosen  for  the  memory  work. 

One  point  should  be  emphasized.  Recitation  of 
the  passages  assigned  for  memorizing  should  be  in- 
variably called  for.  Nothing  will  more  quickly  in- 
duce careless  habits  with  regard  to  the  entire  course 
of  study  than  the  mistake  of  assigning  work  without 
following  it  up. 

Moreover  the  teacher  should  be  on  the  lookout 
for  opportunities  to  review  this  memory  work.  Many 
passages  thus  assigned  will  be  recalled  by  subsequent 
topics  and  should  be  brought  in  by  way  of  illustration. 
Recitation  of  some  of  the  passages  in  unison  may  be 
introduced  into  the  devotional  exercises;  the  hymns 
learned  may  be  sung  from  memory,  etc. 

§  6.   Home  Work 

While  in  the  majority  of  cases  it  may  be  found 
best  to  have  the  work  on  the  pupil's  book  done  dur- 
ing the  class  hour,  this  should  not  be  allowed  to  take 
the  place  of  home  work.  References  and  suggestions 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS    xvii 

for  home  reading  are  given  throughout  the  course, 
and  the  resourceful  teacher  will  find  other  suggestions 
as  the  work  progresses.  But  the  following  general 
hints  may  be  of  service: 

a)  The  Scripture  references  constituting  the  les- 
son material  for  each  section  should  be  assigned  for 
careful  reading  in  advance  of  the  class  work.     As 
with  the  memory  work,  the  teacher  should  not  fail 
to  question  the  class  upon  this  home  reading  to  see 
if  it  has  been  done.     The  pupil  should  be  made  to 
feel  that  this  reading  is  worth  while,  and  that  he 
will  receive  credit  for  it  when  done. 

b)  When  the  Scripture  narrative  is  at  all  involved, 
or  contains  words  or  allusions  not  perfectly  clear  in 
meaning,  or  mention  of  unfamiliar  customs  or  ob- 
jects, the  attention  of  the  class  should  be  called  to 
these  points  with  directions  for  looking  them  up. 
Topics  of  special  importance  or  difficulty  may  be 
assigned  either  to  the  class  as  a  whole  or  to  indi- 
viduals for  special  report.     Care  should  be  taken  in 
all  such  cases  to  put  the  necessary  sources  of  informa- 
tion within  reach  of  the  pupil.     Comparatively  few 
have  many  books  of  biblical  reference  in  their  homes. 
The  school  library  should  furnish  them  as  far  as 
possible,  and  make  them  accessible  to  the  pupils  out- 
side of  class  hours.     Sometimes  the  teacher  may  pos- 
sess the  volume  needed  and  loan  it  to  the  pupil  to 
whom  the  special  topic  may  be  assigned.     Or  the 
teacher  may  meet  the  pupil  at  home  or  at  the  public 


XV111 


THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 


library  for  the  purposes  of  such  investigation.  Every 
such  opportunity  may  lead  to  the  establishment  of 
closer  fellowship  and  sympathy  between  teacher  and 
pupil,  and  some  of  the  best  work  may  thus  be  accom- 
plished. The  interest  and  co-operation  of  parents 
may  also  be  enlisted  by  suggesting  questions  for  the 
pupils  to  ask  at  home  in  the  search  for  further 
information. 

c)  The  memory  work  should  usually  be  done  at 
home  during  the  week,  and  should  be  assigned  after 
it  is  reached  in  the  course  of  study  rather  than  in 
advance.    It  is  well  to  insist  upon  correct  recitation 
of  memory  work  before  it  is  written  in  the  book. 

d)  When  stories  are  to  be  written  by  the  pupil,  it 
will  often  be  well  to  give  the  main  outlines  in  class 
and  have  the  story  written  at  home.     It  may  add 
interest  and  variety  at  times  to  have  such  stories 
brought  into  class,  read,  criticized,  and  corrected, 
and  then  let  the  class  select  the  best  one  for  incor- 
poration in  the  book  work. 

e)  Pupils  may  be  led  to  supplement  the  lessons 
by  looking  up  additional  pictures  or  other  illustra- 
tive matter  during  the  week,  giving  time  for  reports 
on  such  work  occasionally.    This  will  help  to  keep 
the  subject  alive  in  the  pupil's  mind  and  train  him 
in  habits  of  observance  from  day  to  day. 

If  the  teacher  is  at  all  skilled  in  such  work,  much 
interest  may  be  aroused  at  the  very  outset  of  the 
course  by  having  the  class  meet  during  the  week  for 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS     xix 

the  modeling  of  a  relief  map  of  paper  pulp  such  as 
is  used  by  the  kindergarten.  More  actual  knowl- 
edge of  the  Holy  Land  will  be  gained  in  this  way 
than  through  ordinary  map-study. 

If  the  stereoscopic  views  are  used  (see  par.  e,  p. 
xi),  a  pleasant  and  profitable  hour  may  be  spent  at 
home  looking  over  views  connected  with  the  lessons. 

Many  schools  have  established  museums  for  the 
collection  of  pictures,  maps,  curios,  coins,  models, 
or  whatever  may  serve  to  illustrate  the  life  and  cus- 
toms of  Palestine  in  the  time  of  Jesus.  Pupils  may 
be  invited  to  bring  contributions  for  such  a  collection 
and  submit  them  to  the  teacher,  or  a  committee  of 
the  school,  for  consideration,  care  being  taken  to 
admit  to  the  collection  only  such  objects  as  have 
legitimate  place  there.  A  great  deal  of  interest  and 
informal  study  may  be  aroused  in  this  way. 

§7.   Practice  Work 

This  might  be  included  under  the  heading  of 
home  work,  but  its  importance  deserves  separate 
and  special  mention.  A  distinct  feature  of  modern 
educational  work  is  the  laboratory  method,  which 
includes  not  only  the  inductive  study  of  concrete 
objects  and  facts,  but  also  the  illustration  and  appli- 
cation of  the  principles  derived  from  this  study 
through  experiment  and  practice.  The  same  method 
should  be  used  in  moral  and  religious  education, 
and  its  neglect  has  constituted  one  of  the  chief  weak- 


XX 


THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 


nesses  in  Sunday-school  work  hitherto.  Christian 
character  is  developed  through  the  formation  of 
Christlike  habits  of  living,  and  these  come  through 
practice.  The  teacher  should  be  ever  on  the  watch 
for  opportunities  of  following  up  the  lesson  with 
practical  application  in  actual  service.  This  should 
not  be  confused  with  the  moralizing  of  which  our 
Sunday-school  teaching  has  had  too  much,  rather  than 
too  little.  Children  make  their  own  moral  applica- 
tions more  effectively  than  another  can  do  it  for 
them.  What  is  needed  is  more  thoughtfulness  and 
ingenuity  in  devising  opportunities  for  putting  into 
practice  the  principles  of  unselfishness,  service,  and 
love  gained  from  the  lesson  study.  The  daily  round 
of  life  at  home,  at  school,  and  on  the  playground 
will  yield  such  opportunities  in  abundance,  if  the 
teacher  and  parents  are  on  the  lookout  for  them. 
Some  general  suggestions  along  this  line  are  given 
throughout  the  notes  on  the  lessons  but  each  teacher 
will  be  guided  by  his  own  study  of  the  individual 
conditions  of  his  pupils. 

§  8.   Preparation  of  the  Teacher 

The  best  success  in  the  use  of  this,  or  any  other, 
course  will  depend  upon  the  thorough  preparation 
of  the  teacher.  This  fact  cannot  be  emphasized  too 
strongly.  It  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  the  teacher 
must  be  fully  versed  in  all  pedagogical  methods, 
although  such  training  will  be  of  great  ad  van 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS    xxi 

tage.  It  does  mean  the  three  following  things  at 
least: 

a)  The  teacher  should  have  a  fairly  comprehen- 
sive knowledge  of  the  life  of  Jesus  as  a  whole,  before 
beginning  to  teach  it  to  others.  While  it  is  neither 
necessary  nor  desirable  to  lay  much  emphasis  upon 
historical  sequences  with  pupils  of  this  grade,  the 
teacher  needs  this  knowledge  in  order  to  understand 
and  correctly  interpret  the  incidents  of  that  life.  An 
excellent  preparation  for  teachers  of  this  course  will 
be  found  in  the  careful  study  of  the  more  advanced 
course  in  the  same  series,  Burton  and  Mathews, 
Constructive  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus.  Sanday, 
Outlines  of  the  Life  of  Christ,  may  also  be  mentioned 
as  a  good  supplementary  textbook. 

6)  The  teacher  should  review  and  thoroughly 
master  each  incident  in  the  present  course  in  the 
light  of  this  comprehensive  study.  He  should  make 
every  effort  to  enter  completely  into  the  spirit  of  the 
scene,  picturing  its  settings  and  circumstances,  and 
supplementing  his  study  by  reading  other  lives  of 
Jesus,  such  as  Edersheim's,  Geikie's,  or  Farrar's, 
which  abound  in  local  color  and  picturesque  detail. 
Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  is  particu- 
larly well  adapted  for  use  with  boys  and  girls.  Her- 
vey,  Picture  Work,  especially  chapter  vii,  has  valuable 
suggestions  for  the  teacher  hi  this  connection. 

Such  study  will  show  results  in  the  power  to  pre- 
sent the  lesson  with  vividness,  and  will  be  richly 


ixii  THELlFEOFjESUS 

repaid  by  the  added  interest  and  attention  on  the 
part  of  the  pupil. 

§9.   The  Spiritual  Work  of  the  Teacher 

The  aim  of  this  course  is  to  present  the  clearest 
possible  picture  of  the  personality  of  Jesus  Christ. 
If  this  be  accomplished  in  such  a  manner  as  to  secure 
the  interested  co-operation  of  the  pupil,  the  best  pos- 
sible opportunity  for  spiritual  influence  has  been 
afforded. 

Every  effort  has  been  made  to  avoid  doctrinal  or 
"preachy"  questions  and  to  discourage  abstract 
moralizing.  The  best  results  will  be  secured  by 
bringing  out  very  vividly  the  concrete  picture  of 
Jesus  himself,  enabling  the  pupil  to  see  how  he  lived 
and  worked  and  acted  under  the  varying  conditions 
of  his  life,  and  allowing  the  pupil  to  make  his  own 
application  of  these  facts  to  his  own  living. 

The  deepest  spiritual  impressions  are  made  by 
the  personal  influence  of  a  genuinely  Christian  char- 
acter. Without  this  no  course  of  study  will  be  effec- 
tive. The  ideal  teacher  is  one  who  combines  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  subject  and  of  pupil  with  a 
sincere  love  for  each,  and  who  possesses  that  sympathy 
and  tact  which  yields  him  the  confidence  of  the  pupil. 
To  such  a  teacher  will  be  unfolded  the  secrets  of  the 
hearts  under  his  charge,  and  he  will  have  the  rare 
privilege  of  being  the  spiritual  adviser  of  the  young 
in  their  moments  of  greatest  need. 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED  FOR  REFERENCE 

WORK   IN   CONNECTION 

WITH  THIS  COURSE 

ON  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

BURTON  AND  MATHEWS,  Constructive  Studies  in  the  Life  of 
Christ:  An  Aid  to  Historical  Study  and  a  Condensed 
Commentary  on  the  Gospels.  Fifth  edition.  Chicago: 
The  University  of  Chicago  Press.  $i. 

STEVENS  AND  BURTON,  A  Harmony  of  the  Gospels  for  His- 
torical Study.  Third  edition.  New  York:  Scribner's.  $i. 
The  study  of  these  two  books  will  constitute  an  excellent 

preparation  for  teachers  of  this  course. 

SAND  AY,  Outlines  of  the  Life  of  Christ.     New  York:   Scrib- 
ner's.    $1.25. 
One  of  the  best  modern  works,  of  special  value  for  its 

division  and  naming  of  the  periods  in  the  life  of  Jesus.     (Same 

material  found  in  Hasting's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  article 

"Jesus  Christ.") 

GILBERT,  The  Student's  Life  of  Jesus.  New  York:  Mac- 
millan.  $i .  25. 

RHEES,  The  Life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth:  A  Study.  New  York : 
Scribner's.  $i .  25. 

ANDREWS,  The  Life  of  Our  Lord.    New  York:    Scribner's. 

$2 . 50. 

STALKER,  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.  New  York:  Scribner's.  $0.60. 
BUTLER,  How  to  Study  the  Life  of  Christ.  New  York: 

Whittaker.    $0.75. 

These  six  books  are  of  special  value  for  outline  study, 
and  to  get  an  idea  of  the  sequence  and  chronology  of  the 
life  of  Jesus. 


xxiv  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

EDERSHEIM,  The  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah.     New 

York:   Longmans,  Green  &  Co.     $2. 
GEIOE,  The  Life  and  Words  of  Jesus  Christ.    Various  editions. 
DAWSON,   The  Life  of  Christ     Philadelphia:    George   W. 

Jacobs  &  Co.    $1.50. 
FARRAX,  The  Life  of  Christ.    New  York:    Button.    $1.50. 

These  four  books  give  more  of  the  details  of  local  condi- 
tions, customs,  etc.     Dawson's   is   the   most  recent  and  is 
more  of  an  interpretative  study  than  a  chronicle  of  events. 
BIRD,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth.     New  York:   Scrib- 
ner's.    $1.50;   illustrated  edition,  $2. 

A  series  of  short  sketches  told  in  a  picturesque  and  imagi- 
native manner  and  splendidly  adapted  to  boys  and  girls. 
PHELPS,   The  Story  «f  Jesus  Christ.     Boston:    Houghton, 

Mifflin  &  Co.    $2. 

An  interpretative  study,  freely  imaginative  in  style,  often 
helpful  in  stimulating  a  vivid  picturing  of  conditions  and 
scenes. 

ON  THE  HISTORY  OF  NEW  TESTAMENT 
TIMES 

SOURER,  The  Jewish  People  in  the  Time  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Div.  I,  2  vols.;  Div.  II,  3  vols.     New  York:   Scribner's. 

$8. 
MATHEWS,  A  History  of  New  Testament  Times  in  Palestine. 

New  York:    Macmillan.     $0.75. 
SEIDEL,  In  the  Time  of  Jesus.    Chicago:  The  University  of 

Chicago  Press.     $0.75. 
RIGGS,  History  of  the  Jewish  People  during  the  Ifaccabean 

end  Roman  Periods.    New  York:    Scribner's.     $1.25. 
EDERSHEIM,  Sketches  of  Jewish  Social  Life  in  the  Days  •/ 

Christ. 
STAFFER,  Palestine  in  the  Time  of  Christ.     New  York:  Ann- 

•trong.    $2.50. 


BOOKS  RECOMMENDED  xxv 

MAcCouN,  The  Holy  Land  in  Geography  and  History.    2  vols. 

New  York:   Revell.     $2. 
CALKIN,  Historical  Geography  of  Bible  Lands.     Philadelphia. 

Westminster  Press.     $i. 

The  Underwood  Stereographs  of  Palestine.  New  York: 
Underwood  &  Underwood.  $5.00  and  upward  accord- 
ing to  number  of  views  selected. 

Not  all  the  above-mentioned  books  are  necessary. 
The  list  is  made  somewhat  complete  to  give  oppor- 
tunity for  selection,  and  the  references  throughout 
this  manual  are  made  sufficiently  numerous  for  the 
same  purpose.  The  teacher  should  study  at  least 
one  book  on  the  life  of  Jesus  for  historical  outline, 
and  one  or  more  of  the  more  descriptive  works  such 
as  Edersheim's  or  Geikie's. 

Schurer's  work  on  the  history  of  Palestine  is  the 
most  complete  and  exhaustive,  and  may  be  found 
too  much  so  for  the  average  teacher.  Mathews' 
handbook  is  much  shorter  and  gives  the  more  essen- 
tial facts. 

MacCoun's  and  Calkin's  books  on  historical  geog- 
raphy cover  the  same  ground,  and  but  one  will  be 
required. 

The  teacher  should  have  access  to  a  good  Bible 
dictionary,  as  Hastings'  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  5  vols. 
(New  York:  Scribners),  or  The  Popular  and  Critical 
Bible  Encyclopedia,  3  vols.,  ed.  by  Fallows,  Zenos, 
and  Willett.  (Chicago:  Howard-Severance  Co.) 
For  individual  use  the  Smith-Peloubet  and  Davis 
one-volume  dictionaries  will  answer  the  purpose. 


NOTE  ON  FRONTISPIECE  AND 
TITLE-PAGE 

The  frontispiece  of  the  pupil's  book,  together 
with  its  motto,  furnishes  material  for  an  introductory 
lesson  and  an  explanation  of  the  nature  and  plan  of 
of  the  course. 

The  picture  chosen  is  Hofmann's  "The  Boy 
Jesus,"  a  detail  from  his  larger  picture  of  Christ  in 
the  Temple.  Let  each  pupil  paste  the  picture  neatly 
in  the  place  indicated  on  the  page.  Meanwhile  the 
teacher  may  talk  to  the  class  about  the  picture  and 
its  meaning  for  this  course  of  study.  Have  the 
pupils  study  the  portrait  and  give  their  own 
impressions  of  it.  The  artist  has  given  us  a  splen- 
did representation  of  a  strong,  healthy,  open-hearted, 
pure-minded  lad.  It  is  of  such  a  boy,  and  the  man 
he  grew  to  be,  that  we  are  to  study  in  this  course. 
He  was  undoubtedly  a  vigorous  lad,  loving  his 
childish  games  and  boyish  sports  as  well  as  any 
other  boy.  He  must  have  been  a  good  companion 
and  an  obedient  son. 

Let  the  class  turn  to  the  reference  given  below 
the  picture,  Luke  2:52.  Here  is  a  summary,  in  the 
briefest  possible  terms,  of  the  childhood  of  Jesus. 
What  three  points  does  it  include  that  should  char- 
acterize the  growth  of  every  child?  He  advanced 


FRONTISPIECE  AND  TITLE  PAGE   xxvii 

in  stature  and  physical  strength;  in  wisdom  and 
mental  strength;  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man, 
spiritual  strength.  Have  the  class  read  this  verse 
until  it  is  committed  to  memory;  then  let  each  one 
write  it  as  neatly  as  possible  on  the  dotted  lines. 

A  blank  line  is  left  on  the  title-page  for  the  pupil's 
name.  This  may  be  filled  out  by  the  pupil  at  the 
beginning  of  the  course,  or,  if  desired,  this  may  be 
postponed  until  its  completion,  and  be  then  written 
or  neatly  lettered  in  by  the  teacher  as  indication  that 
the  work  has  been  satisfactorily  done. 


INTRODUCTION 

PALESTINE  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

§  i.    The  Land  Where  Jesus  Lived 

References  for  study. — Calkin,  Historical  Geog- 
raphy of  Bible  Lands,  pp.  n-iS  and  maps  in  back 
of  book;  MacCoun,  The  Holy  Land  in  Geography 
and  History,  Vol.  I,  pp.  6-10  and  maps;  Geikie, 
Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  ii;  Bird,  Jesus  the 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  1-5;  Bible  Dictionary, 
article  "Palestine." 

Illustrative  material. — In  addition  to  the  maps 
furnished  with  the  course,  a  raised  map  of  Palestine 
will  be  very  helpful.  (See  par.  e],  p.  xi.)  Pressed 
flowers,  samples  of  fruits,  or  other  produce  of  the 
Holy  Land  may  be  used.  Time-tables  or  other 
printed  matter  on  Palestine  published  by  tourist 
companies,  or  the  Underwood  stereographs  will 
help  to  make  the  land  more  real  to  present-day 
minds. 

Explanatory  notes. — The  land  of  Palestine  was 
most  fittingly  chosen  to  be  the  scene  of  God's  greatest 
revelation  of  himself  and  the  starting-point  of  the 
Christian  faith.  Situated  between  the  continents  of 
Africa  and  Asia,  it  was  the  connecting  link  between 
the  great  civilizations  of  antiquity — the  Egyptian, 
on  the  south,  and  the  Assyrian,  and  later  the  Grecian 


2  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

and  Roman,  on  the  north.  It  formed  the  highway 
for  conquest  and  commerce.  The  armies  and  the 
merchants  of  all  countries  traveled  its  roads.  Its 
inhabitants  were  brought  into  contact  with  people 
from  every  part  of  the  civilized  world,  and  thus  had 
exceptional  advantages  for  the  dissemination  of  new 
ideas.  Since  the  days  of  the  Exile,  save  for  the 
brief  though  brilliant  Maccabean  period,  Palestine 
had  been  a  subject  land,  paying  tribute  to  one  or 
another  ruler  as  successive  powers  gained  the  as- 
cendency. In  the  time  of  Jesus  they  were  ruled  by 
governors  having  different  titles,  but  all  subject  to 
the  great  world-power  of  Rome,  whose  dominion  was 
exercised  with  mingled  severity  and  lenience.  Their 
rule  was  hateful  to  the  Jews,  especially  to  those  who 
clung  most  closely  to  the  theocratic  ideal.  These 
found  the  exercise  of  the  Roman  power  a  sacrilege 
as  well  as  a  hardship,  and  the  payment  of  their  taxes 
not  only  irksome,  but  even  sinful. 

Palestine  today  forms  a  part  of  the  Ottoman,  or 
Turkish,  empire.  Its  customs  remain  very  largely 
the  same  as  in  the  days  of  Jesus.  It  is  now  reached 
by  steamship  lines  through  the  Mediterranean  to 
Jaffa  or  Beirut,  or  by  rail  through  Europe  to  Con- 
stantinople and  thence  by  steamship  to  the  same 
points. 

It  is  a  land  of  great  contrasts.  Its  altitudes  vary 
all  the  way  from  the  deep  valley  of  the  Jordan  to  the 
snowy  peaks  of  the  Lebanons.  Thus  every  kind  of 


PALESTINE  AND  ITS  PEOPLE       3 

climate  is  represented,  with  its  appropriate  degree 
of  fertility  and  vegetation.  To  the  ancients  it  was 
"a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,"  and,  in 
contrast  with  the  arid  desert  homes  of  the  Bedouin 
tribes  on  the  east,  it  must  have  seemed  a  veritable 
paradise,  a  land  of  promise.  Its  geographical  feat- 
ures may  readily  be  grasped  by  noting  the  four  longi- 
tudinal sections  of  the  country.  Down  along  the 
coast  of  the  Mediterranean  stretches  the  Maritime 
Plain.  Back  of  this  rises  the  great  Central  Range 
of  mountains,  running  down  from  Lebanon,  10,000 
feet  in  height,  to  the  plains  of  the  Negeb,  or  South 
Country,  and  broken  just  below  the  Sea  of  Galilee 
by  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  and  the  lower  hills  of  Gali- 
lee. Beyond  this  is  the  deep  and  tortuous  valley  of 
the  Jordan,  in  which  lie  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  the 
Dead  Sea ;  and  beyond  this  again  the  Eastern  Range, 
sinking  from  Mount  Hermon  to  the  table-lands  of 
the  Perean  country. 

The  physical  characteristics  of  Palestine,  its 
flowers  and  fruits,  its  birds  and  beasts,  are  well  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Bird  in  the  reference  given  above. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  object  of  this  sec- 
tion is  to  give  the  pupil  a  clear  impression  of  the 
land  of  Palestine,  to  aid  him  in  vividly  picturing  the 
various  incidents  in  the  life  of  Jesus,  and  to  create 
a  feeling  of  reality  and  acquaintanceship  in  the  study 
of  the  gospels. 

In  preparation  for  teaching  this  and  the  following 


4  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

section  the  teacher  should  read  carefully  and  as  fully 
as  possible  on  the  geography  and  history  of  Palestine 
in  the  time  of  Jesus.  The  historical  relations  as  such 
will  not  appeal  very  strongly  to  pupils  in  this  grade, 
and  they  should  not  be  dwelt  upon  in  the  class,  but  the 
teacher  needs  this  background  for  a  clear  understand- 
ing and  vivid  treatment  of  the  various  events  studied. 

Let  the  pupils  fill  out  the  blanks  in  this  section 
of  their  book.  The  necessary  information  is  fur- 
nished the  teacher  in  the  explanatory  notes  and 
references  for  study.  The  pupil  should  be  led  to 
look  up  as  much  of  this  information  as  possible,  with 
suggestions  only  for  guidance.  Let  them  consult  the 
maps  and  find  the  names  of  the  places  and  bodies  of 
water  called  for;  trace  out  the  routes  of  present- 
day  travel,  or  look  them  up  in  the  folders  published 
by  tourist  companies,  which  will  help  still  more  to 
bring  Palestine  to  present-day  comprehension;  meas- 
ure for  themselves  the  distances  with  the  scale;  etc. 
Pay  special  attention  to  the  comparison  of  distances 
with  those  already  familiar  to  them  (for  example, 
Palestine  is  150  miles  long,  just  about  half  the  length 
of  Lake  Michigan,  while  the  whole  land  is  only  about 
one-fourth  the  size  of  the  state  of  Illinois). 

For  this  map-work,  and  for  use  throughout  the 
course,  two  maps  are  furnished;  one  colored,  with 
the  places  designated  by  name;  and  the  other  an 
outline  map,  upon  which  the  pupil  is  to  locate  each 
place  as  he  comes  to  it  in  the  course  of  study. 


PALESTINE  AND  ITS  PEOPLE       5 

Care  should  also  be  taken  to  see  that  pupils  letter 
their  outline  maps  as  neatly  as  possible.  Children 
of  this  age  are  apt  to  write  rather  large,  and  unless 
caution  is  observed  they  will  soon  fill  their  outline 
maps  with  confused  characters.  It  may  sometimes 
be  better  to  designate  places  by  initials  only,  to  save 
space. 

Home  work. — Learn  the  names  of  the  places  and 
bodies  of  water  mentioned  in  this  section  and  be  able 
to  tell  where  they  are.  Look  up  any  additional  in- 
formation possible  about  Palestine  in  the  Bible  dic- 
tionary, encyclopedia,  school  geography,  or  by  asking 
questions  at  home  or  at  school. 

§  2.   The  People  Among  Whom  Jesus  Lived 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  9-15;  Sanday,  Outlines  of  the  Life  of 
Christ,  pp.  7-28;  Mathews,  History  of  New  Testa- 
ment Times,  chaps,  i-xiii;  Calkin,  Historical  Geog- 
raphy of  Bible  Lands,  pp.  155-69;  MacCoun,  The 
Holy  Land  in  Geography  and  History,  Vol,  II,  pp. 
67-76;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Mes- 
siah, Book  I,  especially  chap,  vi;  Edersheim,  Sketches 
of  Jewish  Social  Life,  chaps,  vi-viii;  Geikie,  Life 
and  Words  of  Christ,  chaps,  v,  vi,  and  xii. 

Illustrative  material. — Pictures  showing  customs 
or  costumes  of  Palestine.  Wilde's  Bible  pictures, 
Nos.  237-52,  are  on  these  subjects.  Better  still  an 
oriental  costume,  if  available.  A  miniature  roll,  like 


6  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

the  one  shown  in  Wilde  picture  No.  237,  may  easily 
be  made  by  pasting  each  end  of  a  strip  of  paper  to  a 
stick  and  rolling  toward  the  center.  The  Under- 
wood Stereographs  of  Palestine,  Nos.  41,  44,  14,  48, 
50,  11,068,  67,  76,  79,  70,  81,  82,  86,  88,  in  the 
order  named,  or  a  selection  of  a  smaller  number 
from  these,  might  be  used  in  connection  with  the 
map  to  give  the  pupils  a  notion  of  the  general  char- 
acter of  the  country  as  one  journeys  from  south  to 
north. 

Explanatory  notes. — The  historical  summaries  in 
Burton  and  Mathews  or  in  Sanday  give  an  excellent 
idea  of  the  situation  in  Palestine  at  the  time  of  Jesus. 
A  careful  reading  of  the  longer  reference  from 
Mathews  will  be  found  very  instructive.  Edersheim 
and  Geikie  give  more  descriptive  matter  concerning 
the  customs,  home  and  school  life  of  the  people. 

Jesus  was  a  Jew,  one  of  that  remarkable  race 
chosen  of  God  to  be  the  medium  of  his  revelation  to 
the  world.  They  had  a  noble  ancestry,  of  which 
they  were  intensely  proud,  tracing  their  descent  back 
to  Abraham,  and  they  had  once  been  numbered 
among  the  great  nations  of  the  world,  but  since  the 
Babylonian  captivity  they  had  been  a  subject  people. 
(See  explanatory  note,  sec.  i.) 

Their  greatest  comfort,  when  they  felt  the  irk- 
someness  of  the  Roman  rule,  lay  in  the  hope  of  a  day 
when  God  should  deliver  them  from  all  oppression. 
This  hope  had  taken  the  form  of  a  messianic  expec- 


PALESTINE  AND  ITS  PEOPLE       7 

tation — the  belief  that  there  would  be  a  Messiah  who 
should  deliver  them  and  rule  them  as  king.  In  the 
minds  of  the  common  people,  at  least,  the  expected 
kingdom  was  thought  of  as  a  political  and  worldly 
kingdom,  and  the  messianic  king  was  to  rule  much 
as  other  kings  did,  only  making  them  instead  of  the 
Romans  supreme.  Some  of  the  more  learned  held 
more  transcendental  views,  ascribing  to  the  kingdom 
a  less  earthly,  more  heavenly  character.  It  was 
generally  held  that  the  new  rule  would  be  a  rule  of 
righteousness.  But  very  few  indeed  had  any  idea 
of  a  meek  and  self-sacrificing  Messiah — a  fact  which 
helps  to  explain  why  they  did  not  better  appreciate 
the  claims  of  Jesus.  The  following  portion  of  Ps. 
17,  of  the  so-called  Psalms  of  Solomon  (Ryle  and 
James'  translation),  a  psalm  written  about  fifty  years 
before  the  time  of  Christ,  will  illustrate  some  of  the 
ideas  that  were  blended  in  this  messianic  hope: 
Behold,  O  Lord,  and  raise  up  unto  them  their  King,  the  son 

of  David,  in  the  time  which  thou,  O  God,  knowest,  that 

he  may  reign  over  Israel,  thy  servant; 
And  gird  him  with  strength,  that  he  may  break  in  pieces 

them  that  rule  unjustly. 
Purge  Jerusalem  from  the  heathen  that  trample  her  down 

to  destroy  her,  with  wisdom  and  with  righteousness. 
He  shall  thrust  out  the  sinners  from  the  inheritance,  utterly 

destroy  the  proud  spirit  of  the  sinners,   and  as  potters' 

vessels  with  a  rod  of  iron  shall  he  break  in  pieces  all 

their  substance. 
He  shall  destroy  the  ungodly  nations  with  the  word  of  his 

mouth,  so  that  at  his  rebuke  the  nations  may  flee  befon 


8  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

him,  and  he  shall  convict  the  sinners  in  the  thoughts  of 

their  hearts. 
And  he  shall  gather  together  a  holy  people  whom  he  shall 

lead  in  righteousness;    and  shall  judge  the  tribes  of  the 

people  that  hath  been  sanctified  by  the  Lord  his  God. 
And  he  shall  not  suffer  iniquity  to  lodge  in  their  midst;  and 

none  that  knoweth  wickedness  shall  dwell  with  them. 
For  he  shall  take  knowledge  of  them,  that  they  be  all  the  sons 

of  their  God,  and  shall  divide  them  upon  the  earth  accord- 
ing to  their  tribes. 
And  the  sojourner  and  the  stranger  shall  dwell  with  them  no 

more. 
He  shall  judge  the  nations  and  the  peoples  with  the  wisdom 

of  his  righteousness.     Selah. 
And  he  shall  possess  the  nations  of  the  heathen  to  serve  him 

beneath  his  yoke;    and  he  shall  glorify  the  Lord  in  a 

place  to  be  seen  of  the  whole  earth. 
And  he  shall  purge  Jerusalem  and  make  it  holy,  even  as  it 

was  in  the  days  of  old. 
So  that  the  nations  may  come  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  to 

see    his  glory,   bringing   as   gifts   her    sons    that    had 

fainted. 
And  may  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  wherewith  God  hath 

glorified  her. 
And  a  righteous  king  and  taught  of  God  is  he  that  reigneth 

over  them. 
And  there  shall  be  no  iniquity  in  his  days  in  their  midst,  for 

all  shall  be  holy  and  their  king  is  the  Lord  Messiah. 
For  he  shall  not  put  his  trust  in  horse  and  rider  and  bow, 

nor  shall  he  multiply  unto  himself  gold  and  silver  for 

war,  nor  by  ships,  shall  he  gather  confidence  for  the  day 

of  battle. 
The  Lord  himself  is  his  King,  and  the  hope  of  him  that  is 

strong  in  the  hope  of  God. 


PALESTINE  AND  ITS  PEOPLE        9 

And  he  shall  have  mercy  upon  all  the  nations  that  come 

before  him  in  fear. 
For  he  shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  word  of  his  mouth,  even 

forevermore. 

He  shall  bless  the  people  of  the  Lord  with  wisdom  and  glad- 
ness. 
He  himself  also  is  pure  from  sin,  so  that  he  may  rule  a  mighty 

people,  and  rebuke  princes  and  overthrow  sinners  by  the 

might  of  his  word. 
And  he  shall  not  faint  all  his  days,  because  he  leaneth  upon 

his  God;   for  God  shall  cause  him  to  be  mighty  through 

the  spirit  of  holiness  and  wise  through  the  counsel  of  under 

standing  with  might  and  righteousness. 
And  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  is  with  him  in  might,  and  his 

hope  in  the  Lord  shall  not  faint. 
And  who  can  stand  up  against  him?    He  is  mighty  in  his 

works  and  strong  in  the  fear  of  God. 
Tending  the  flock  of  the  Lord  with  faith,  and  righteousness, 

and  he  shall  suffer  none  among  them  to  faint  in  their 

pasture. 
In  holiness  shall  he  lead  them  all  and  there  shall  no  pride  be 

among  them,  that  any  should  be  oppressed. 
This  is  the  majesty  of  the  King  of  Israel,  which  God  hath 

appointed  to  raise  him  up  over  the  house  of  Israel,   to 

instruct  him. 
His  word  shall  be  purified  above  fine  gold,  yea,  above  the 

choicest  gold. 
In  the  congregations  will  he  judge  among  the  peoples,  the 

tribes  of  them  that  have  been  sanctified. 
His  words  shall  be  as  the  words  of  the  holy  ones  in  the  midst 

of  the  peoples  that  have  been  sanctified. 
Blessed  are  they  that  shall  be  born  in  those  days  to  behold 

the  blessing  of  Israel  which  God  shall  bring  to  pass  in 

the  gathering  of  the  tribes. 


10  THELlFEOFjESUS 

May  God  hasten  his  mercy  toward  Israel!  may  he  deliver 
us  from  the  abomination  of  unhallowed  adversaries! 

The  Lord,  he  is  our  King,  from  henceforth  and  even 
forevermore. 

Many  of  the  songs  in  our  own  Book  of  Psalms  un- 
doubtedly come  from  such  a  period  of  oppression, 
and  express  a  sublime  faith  and  trust  in  the  ultimate 
triumph  of  God's  kingdom  that  is  marvelous  when 
we  consider  the  conditions  under  which  they  were 
uttered.  Psalms  2,  74,  and  79  may  be  some  of  these. 

There  were  several  sects  or  parties  among  the 
Jews,  and  two  of  these  are  so  frequently  mentioned 
in  the  gospels  as  to  require  some  knowledge  of  their 
characteristics.  The  Pharisees  were  the  larger  body. 
Historically  they  originated  in  the  time  of  the  Mac- 
cabees, when  political  interests  were  assuming  greater 
proportions  and  the  state  seemed  likely  to  drift  away 
from  the  theocratic  ideal.  The  Pharisees  insisted 
upon  the  rigid  observance  of  the  law  of  Moses,  and 
also  of  a  great  body  of  traditions  and  decisions  that 
had  been  made  by  various  teachers  in  the  effort  to 
apply  this  law  to  every  minute  act  of  life.  The  reli- 
gious life  was  for  them  the  doing  of  many  things 
according  to  rule,  and  avoiding  what  was  forbidden. 
They  taught  as  stem  duties,  fastings,  prayers  of  the 
most  formal  nature,  ceremonial  washings,  repetition 
of  Scripture  texts,  and  especially  keeping  numerous 
rules  for  the  observance  of  the  sabbath.  They  were 
careful  to  avoid  any  ceremonial  defilement,  associa- 


PALESTINE  AND  ITS  PEOPLE      n 

tion  with  persons  considered  sinful  or  unclean. 
Jesus  pictures  this  side  of  their  character  in  the  para- 
ble of  the  Pharisee  and  the  Publican  (Luke  18:9-14). 
It  was  this  idea  of  ceremonial  defilement  which  may 
have  influenced  them  somewhat  in  their  opposition 
to  foreign  alliances  of  every  description.  They 
wished  Judea  to  be  absolutely  independent  of  all 
other  nations  and  dependent  only  upon  God. 

The  other  party,  next  in  size  and  importance,  was 
that  of  the  Sadducees.  They  included  the  high- 
priest  and  many  other  officers.  They  were  aristo- 
cratic, wealthy,  and  much  more  aspiring  politically. 
They  favored  whatever  policy  would  make  the  least 
trouble  and  most  advance  the  national  prosperity. 
They  did  not  accept  the  oral  law  and  traditions  of 
the  Pharisees,  but  accepted  the  original  law  of  Moses 
only. 

Both  of  these  parties  opposed  Jesus;  the  Pharisees 
more  upon  religious  grounds,  the  Sadducees  because 
they  feared  he  would  get  them  into  trouble  with 
Rome  (John  11:50). 

The  life  of  the  common  people  is  well  summarized 
in  Burton  and  Mathews,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  35,  36. 
Religion  and  devotion  to  the  law  were  a  marked 
characteristic  of  the  Jewish  people  generally.  Home 
life  reached  a  higher  type  among  them  than  among 
any  of  the  other  peoples  of  antiquity.  The  position 
of  wife  and  mother  was  honorable,  in  spite  of  the 
laxity  in  the  matter  of  divorce.  The  home  life  seems 


12  THELlFEOFjESUS 

to  have  been  healthful.  Great  attention  was  paid 
to  the  training  of  children,  and  especially  to  their 
instruction  in  the  law.  This  was  one  of  the  things 
prescribed  by  the  law  itself  (Deut.  4:9;  6:7,  20; 
11:19). 

Suggestions  for  leaching. — Let  the  pupils  continue 
the  work  in  the  preceding  section,  filling  out  the 
blanks  left  to  complete  the  reading.  Where  Scrip- 
ture references  are  given  to  supply  the  information 
needed,  let  the  pupil  look  these  up  for  himself.  Read 
with  them  the  extract  from  the  messianic  psalm  of 
the  Pharisees,  quoted  from  the  Psalms  of  Solomon, 
a  fuller  quotation  being  given  in  the  explanatory 
notes.  Let  the  pupil  note  the  different  things  that 
the  Jews  expected  their  Messiah  to  do,  as  shown  in 
this  song;  e.  g.,  to  conquer  the  wicked  rulers,  to  set 
the  Jews  free,  make  them  holy,  etc. 

Read  with  the  class  one  or  more  of  the  Psalms 
referred  to  in  the  explanatory  note,  noting  the  con- 
ditions indicated  and  the  longing  of  the  people  for 
relief,  and  their  fine  trust  in  God.  Especially  read 
the  second  psalm,  pointing  out  its  three  parts  and 
their  meaning. 

Tell  the  class  something  of  the  life  of  the  common 
people,  information  upon  which  is  given  in  the  refer- 
ences for  study  and  explanatory  note.  Have  them 
look  up  the  teaching  of  the  law  as  to  the  instruction 
of  children,  as  given  in  the  references  to  Deuteron- 
omy. 


PALESTINE  AND  ITS  PEOPLE      13 

Then  study  the  two  principal  parties  among  the 
Jews.  Let  them  find  the  names  in  the  references 
from  Matthew.  Read  the  descriptive  paragraph  on 
each,  with  the  references  there  given,  so  that  the 
pupil  may  have  a  good  general  idea  of  these  two 
parties  with  which  Jesus  had  so  much  to  do.  The 
successive  paragraphs  in  this  section  of  the  pupil's 
book  are  so  arranged  as  to  associate  the  names  of 
Pharisee  and  Sadducee  in  the  pupil's  mind  with 
characteristics  of  each. 

Home  work. — Study  the  facts  given  in  this  section 
and  be  able  to  name  the  people  of  Palestine,  the  two 
principal  parties  among  them,  and  tell  something 
about  each.  Whom  were  the  people  expecting,  and 
what  did  they  expect  him  to  do  ?  Learn  the  second 
psalm  and  tell  what  it  means. 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS 

§3.   His  Parents 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  1:26-56. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life, 
of  Christ,  par.  19,  21,  23,  pp.  28-31;  Bird,  Jesus  the 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  5-12;  Geikie,  Life  and 
Words  of  Christ,  chap,  viii;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  II,  chap,  iv; 
Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  1-16;  Dawson, 
Life  of  Christ,  pp.  21-34. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  an  oriental 
carpenter  shop,  probably  very  similar  to  Joseph's,  is 
furnished  to  illustrate  this  section.  Other  appro- 
priate pictures  are  those  of  the  "Annunciation"  by 
Hofmann  (Brown  Pictures  no.  805,  Perry  no.  797  B, 
Wilde  Bible  Pictures  no.  i);  Guido  Reni  (Brown 
no.  1712,  Wilde  no.  2);  Franz  Muller  (Wilde  no.  3); 
"Mary's  Visit  to  Elizabeth"  (Brown  no.  855,  Perry 
no.  3246,  Wilde  no.  6). 

Explanatory  notes. — Joseph  and  Mary,  the  parents 
of  Jesus,  lived  in  the  Galilean  town  of  Nazareth, 
about  eighteen  miles  west  of  the  southern  end  of  the 
Sea  of  Galilee.  It  was  a  fitting  home  for  one  who 
was  to  be  a  lover  of  nature  and  of  men,  and  an  in- 
terpreter of  both.  Situated  on  the  southern  slope  of 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS  15 

a  saucer-like  basin  of  hills,  it  is  also  near  the  edge 
of  a  wide  plateau,  commanding  a  wide  view. 

In  the  foreground  rise  the  hills  of  Gilboa,  the  historic 
land  of  Shechem,  and  Mount  Tabor,  the  most  exquisitely 
shaped  of  all  the  hills  of  Palestine.  On  the  west  is  Mount 
Carmel;  to  the  east  the  valley  of  Jordan  opens;  northward 
lies  the  sea.  That  aspect  of  neglect  and  desolation  which 
today  makes  so  many  parts  of  Palestine  a  keen  disappoint- 
ment to  the  traveler,  is  nowhere  found  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Nazareth.  Along  its  western  side  many  valleys  lie,  as 
green  and  smiling  as  the  far-famed  Vale  of  Tempe.  Nowhere 
is  the  atmosphere  more  lucid,  the  general  configuration  of 
the  scenery  more  impressive.  A  cheerful  fertility  is  its  char- 
acteristic note The  little  town  showed  none  of  those 

startling  contrasts  with  which  we  are  familiar  in  modern  life — 
the  close  contiguity  of  luxury  and  want,  of  ailk  and  rags,  of 
the  palace  and  the  hovel.  The  richest  man  in  Nazareth 
would  dwell  in  a  house  not  strikingly  dissimilar  from  that 
occupied  by  the  poorest.  The  natural  wants  of  life  were  few 
and  easily  supplied;  the  artificial  needs,  which  tormented 
and  corrupted  Roman  life  and  at  last  became  a  mania,  did 
not  exist.  .  .  .  Secluded  in  its  amphitheater  of  hills,  the 
little  town  remained  true  to  patriarchal  and  democratic  ideals 
Its  people  lived  a  simple  and  sufficing  life,  much  of  it  spent 
in  the  open  air,  much  of  it  in  kindly  gossip.  No  one  would 
think  of  scorning  the  young  Jesus  because  he  was  a  workman's 
child,  or  looking  down  upon  his  parents  because  they  happened 
to  be  humble  folk.  In  this  at  least  he  was  happy:  his  child- 
hood knew  nothing  of  the  reproach  and  social  disabilities 
of  poverty.  (Dawson,  Life  0}  Christ,  pp.  27,  28.) 

Secluded  as  the  town  was,  it  was  not  cut  off  from 
the  busy  world  of  commerce  and  trade.  From  the 
hill  behind  the  town  Jesus  might  easily  watch  the 


l6  THELlFEOFjESUS 

ships  on  the  Mediterranean  or  the  caravans  traveling 
the  highroads  a  short  distance  away.  Jerusalem  was 
but  three  days'  journey,  and  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  with 
its  shores  crowded  with  imposing  cities,  but  five  hours 
off.  There  was  plenty  of  opportunity  for  the  lad  to 
come  into  touch  with  the  great  heart  of  the  world 
and  feel  something  of  its  restless  pulse,  while  he  him- 
self was  surrounded  by  influences  that  kept  him 
steady  and  self -poised. 

Not  the  least  of  these  steadying  influences  must 
have  been  the  personality  of  his  mother.  Allowing 
for  the  tendency  to  idealize  that  undoubtedly  has 
made  its  impression  upon  the  accounts  that  have 
been  preserved,  Mary  was  certainly  a  high  type  of 
Jewish  womanhood.  Prov.  31:10-31  gives  a  fair 
idea  of  the  honor  in  which  such  a  woman  was  held, 
as  well  as  the  high  ideal  of  womanhood  held  among 
the  Jews.  The  reference  in  Geikie  gives  information 
of  interest  concerning  the  home  life  among  them. 

The  prophecy  concerning  Jesus  contains  features 
that  were  prominent  in  the  earlier  teaching  regarding 
the  Messiah.  Cf.  II  Sam.  7 : 13-15 ;  I  Chron.  17 : 13, 
14;  22:10;  also  note  of  the  term  "Son  of  God"  in 
Burton  and  Mathews,  Life  of  Christ,  p.  29.  The 
story  of  the  annunciation  is  told  with  exceedingly 
good  taste  by  Bird  in  his  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of 
Nazareth,  pp.  8-10: 

One  day,  it  is  thought  in  the  evening,  when  the  shadows 
of  the  hills  were  falling  over  the  flowery  vale  of  Nazareth, 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS  17 

and  the  sun's  last  rays  were  glittering  among  the  green  leaves, 
for  it  was  the  spring-time,  an  angel  came  with  a  message  for 
Mary 

"Hail!  for  thou  art  highly  favored!"  the  angel  said,  rn 
a  gentle  voice;  "God  is  with  thee;"  and  this  was  partly  the 
usual  greeting  in  that  country.  Mary  heard,  but  was  too 
much  afraid  to  answer,  and  sat  looking  down,  wondering 
what  his  words  could  mean. 

"Fear  not,  Mary!  for  thou  art  a  favorite  of  God,"  the 
angel  continued,  noticing  her  fear;  and,  as  she  sat  in  her 
little  room  with  head  bowed  before  him,  he  went  on  to  give 
this  wonderful  message: 

"Thou  shalt  have  a  son,  and  shall  call  him  Jesus.  He 
shall  be  great,  and  people  will  call  him  the  son  of  God;  and 
God  will  give  him  the  throne  of  King  David,  and  he  will 
reign  forever.  Of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end." 

When  the  angel  ceased  there  was  silence,  and  he  stood 
looking  at  Mary,  while  she  sat  wondering  and  thinking,  and 
looking  down  at  his  shining  feet.  She  knew  Jesus  would 
one  day  be  born,  but  that  she,  the  village  maiden,  should 
be  his  mother,  was  a  thing  too  strange  for  her  to  understand; 
she  expected  Jesus  would  have  a  queen  for  his  mother.  But 
the  angel's  face  was  so  kind,  and  what  he  said  so  joyful, 
that  gradually  her  fears  vanished,  and  in  a  low  voice  she 
asked- 

"How  shall  this  be?"  And  the  angel  answered,  telling 
her  that  her  cousin  Elizabeth,  who  lived  in  distant  Hebron, 

would  also  have  a  little  son Again  he  ceased  speaking^ 

and  Mary,  who  had  been  earnestly  listening  to  every  word, 
felt  that  he  waited  for  an  answer,  and  in  a  low  earnest  voice, 
she  replied: 

"I  am  the  handmaid  of  God:  let  it  be  to  me  as  thou  hast 
said."  Then  the  angel  departed,  leaving  her  alone,  won. 
dering  at  what  had  happened. 


18  THELlFEOFjESUS 

Now,  at  this  time,  the  people  of  that  country  expected 
that  a  great  Savior  of  their  nation  would  soon  appear,  of  whom 
good  news  had  been  written  in  many  parts  of  the  Bible,  in 
many  different  ways,  hundreds  of  years  before.  And  as  the 
people  were  much  vexed  and  distressed  by  their  Roman 
conquerors,  they  prayed  and  longed  and  looked  for  this 
Savior  to  come  with  deep  and  intense  desire.  They  called 
him  the  Messiah,  and  other  beautiful  names,  but  he  was 
best  known  by  the  Greek  name  of  Christ.  In  the  Bible  it 
was  written  that  he  would  be  born  in  Bethlehem,  that  angels 
would  tell  of  his  coming,  that  he  would  be  a  powerful  Prince, 
and  the  people  believed  he  would  drive  out  the  Romans,  and 
be  their  king  forever.  Now,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  would  indeed 
be  the  Christ,  but  a  very  different  kind  of  one  from  what  the 
people  expected;  and  he  would  indeed  found  a  kingdom,  but 
not  such  as  they  longed  for.  He  would  not  fight,  nor  resist 
the  Romans,  nor  sit  on  a  throne,  nor  wear  a  crown.  The 
kingdom  which  he  would  found  would  not  be  one  of  cities, 
armies,  and  power,  but  a  kingdom  of  heaven  in  the  world, 
of  goodness,  joy,  and  peace  in  the  hearts  of  men,  women, 
and  little  children — a  kingdom  which  cannot  be  seen,  for 
it  is  within  us.  Thou  wilt  remember,  then,  that  the  words 
Messiah,  Anointed  One,  King  of  Israel,  Son  of  King 
David,  Son  of  Man,  Son  of  God,  Lamb  of  God,  The  Lord, 
Emmanuel,  Prince  of  Life,  Prince  of  Peace,  and  the  Christ 
are  all  different  beautiful  names  in  the  Bible  for  Jesus. 
And  thou  wilt  understand  the  great  joy  of  Mary  now,  and  of 
Elizabeth,  and  the  shepherds,  and  John  the  Baptist,  and 
many  others  hereafter,  when  they  heard  that  Jesus,  the 
Chiist!  after  so  many  years  of  weary  waiting,  and  so  many 
false  hopes,  had  come  at  last. 

Mary  told  no  one  of  the  angel's  visit,  but  day  after  day 
she  pondered  over  his  wonderful  words.  Something  within 
her  said  that  they  were  true,  and  she  rejoiced  that  she  should 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS  19 

be  the  mother  of  Jesus,  the  Christ,  who,  she  had  been  taught, 
would  be  the  deliverer  of  her  people. 

The  Magnificat  of  Mary,  as  it  is  called  from  the 
first  word  of  the  Latin  version,  used  as  a  hymn  in 
the  Roman  church,  is  a  lofty  expression  of  solemn 
joy.  Compare  it  with  the  extract  from  the  Psalms 
of  Solomon  (p.  7). 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  object  of  this  sec- 
tion is  to  impress  upon  the  mind  of  the  pupil  an  idea 
of  the  home  atmosphere  into  which  Jesus  was  born. 
The  character  of  Mary,  the  anticipations  with  which 
she  looked  forward  to  the  birth  of  her  child,  the 
spirit  of  love  and  tenderness  that  must  have  per- 
vaded their  home,  should  be  pictured  as  vividly  as 
possible. 

The  Scripture  narrative  in  this  instance  includes 
details  that  are  better  omitted  in  giving  the  story  to 
young  children.  It  is  better  in  this  case  to  read  or 
tell  the  story  to  the  class  rather  than  to  assign  it  for 
their  own  reading.  The  above  extract  from  Bird 
tells  the  story  sympathetically  and  with  good  taste, 
and  may  be  as  good  as  anything  that  can  be  found 
to  read  to  the  pupil.  Supplement  this  by  such  de- 
scriptions of  Jewish  home  life  and  the  life  at  Nazareth 
as  may  be  found  in  the  references  and  notes. 

Have  the  class  read  the  Magnificat,  which  is 
printed  in  the  pupil's  book  in  the  text  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revision,  noting  its  spirit  and  meaning. 

After  going  over  the  story  in  this  general  wav,  let 


20  THELlFEOFjESUS 

the  class  answer  the  question  on  the  section  from 
this  general  information  and  the  references  given 
with  the  questions. 

Home  work.— Learn  the  Magnificat  (Luke  1:46- 

55). 

§4.   The  Manger  Cradle  at  Bethlehem 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  2:1-20;  cf.  Matt. 
1:18-25. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  30-33;  Sanday,  Outlines  of  the  Life  of 
Christ,  pp.  191-209;  Dawson,  Lije  of  Christ,  pp. 
21-27;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  ix; 
Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  14-25; 
Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Book  II,  chap,  vi;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  i; 
Phelps,  The  Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  16-26. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  Bethlehem  and 
LeRolle's  picture  of  "The  Arrival  of  the  Shepherds" 
are  furnished  for  use  with  this  section.  Additional 
pictures  are  "The  Arrival  at  Bethlehem,"  by  Merson 
(Wilde  no.  8);  various  pictures  of  the  "Nativity" 
and  "Announcement  to  the  Shepherds"  by  Bougue- 
reau,  Correggio,  Hofmann,  Miiller,  Plockhiirst,  and 
others.  In  using  these  pictures  an  occasional  word 
of  explanation  as  to  the  artist's  ideal  conception  may 
obviate  false  impressions  on  the  part  of  the  pupil. 
The  Wilde  Bible  pictures  nos.  173-77  are  of  places 
associated  with  the  nativity. 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS          21 

Explanatory  notes. — A  good  summary  of  all  the 
definite  information  as  to  the  date  of  the  birth  of 
Jesus  is  given  in  Burton  and  Mathews,  Life  of  Christ, 
p.  40.  The  date  was  somewhere  from  7  to  4  B.  c. 
See  also  Sanday,  Outlines  0}  the  Life  of  Christ,  pp. 
202-6,  on  the  census  under  Quirinius. 

The  stories  which  cluster  about  the  nativity  of  Jesus  are 
full  of  idyllic  charm.  The  exquisite  story  of  the  shepherds 
in  the  fields  by  night,  who  hear  a  wind-borne  music  in  the 
starry  sky,  is  St.  Luke's  alone;  on  the  other  hand,  St.  Matthew 
only  relates  the  striking  episode  of  the  visit  of  the  magians, 
guided  by  a  star  to  the  presence  of  the  young  child.  A 
common  idea  is  expressed  in  both  of  these  stories,  viz.,  the 
existence  of  some  celestial  commotion  over  a  terrestrial  event 
of  the  highest  consequence  to  man.  The  oriental  mind, 
steeped  in  the  spirit  of  symbolism,  and  keenly  sensitive  to 
what  may  be  called  the  ghostly  element  in  the  material  uni- 
verse, would  perceive  nothing  incongruous  in  this  idea. 
(Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  p.  23.) 

The  recognition  of  the  idyllic  character  of  these 
stories  of  the  nativity  should  not  at  all  lessen  our 
conception  of  the  deep  truth  which  they  express,  nor 
hinder  our  application  of  it  to  our  own  experience. 
The  event  at  which  the  stars  rejoiced  has  been  the 
cause  of  an  ever-deepening  joy  as  men  have  yielded 
their  lives  to  its  beneficent  results. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  main  object  is  to 
bring  out  the  story  of  the  birth  of  Jesus  in  all  its 
simplicity  and  poetic  beauty.  We  have  the  story  of 
a  baby  boy,  sent  by  God  into  a  home  full  of  Chris- 


22 


THE  LIFE  or  JESUS 


tian  love  and  tenderness,  even  though  it  was  a  hum- 
ble home  and  the  immediate  circumstances  seemed 
almost  forbidding.  Added  to  this  is  a  story  of  rare 
beauty,  expressing  the  thought  that  the  birth  of  this 
infant  child  was  of  such  supreme  interest  to  the 
world  that  even  the  heavens  rejoiced  as  well  as  the 
humble  folk  of  earth. 

The  Scripture  narrative  having  been  read  in  ad- 
vance, the  story  of  the  birth  may  be  drawn  out  by 
questions,  supplemented  by  such  bits  of  information 
as  are  indicated.  For  what  purpose  did  Joseph  and 
Mary  go  to  Bethlehem  ?  (The  Roman  emperor  had 
ordered  a  census  to  be  taken,  and  instead  of  sending 
a  man  to  the  house  of  each  person  to  ask  the  neces- 
sary questions,  everyone  had  to  go  to  his  ancestral 
city  and  there  be  enrolled  by  the  officials.)  What 
kind  of  a  place  did  they  have  to  sleep  in?  (Our 
missionaries  in  oriental  countries  not  infrequently 
have  to  spend  the  night  in  just  such  places,  together 
with  the  cattle  and  donkeys.)  Why  could  they  not 
get  into  the  house?  What  happened  that  night? 
What  did  they  use  for  a  cradle  ? 

Picture  the  scene  as  vividly  as  possible :  the  rough 
interior  of  the  inn  inclosure,  with  the  beasts  standing 
about;  doubtless  other  belated  travelers  like  them- 
selves; and  in  the  midst  of  all  this  the  baby  boy 
lying  in  the  rough-hewn  manger.  Imagine  the  joy 
and  pride  of  his  father  and  mother,  the  kindly  atten- 
tions of  the  other  women  who  may  have  been  there. 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS  23 

Then  tell  the  story  of  the  shepherds  out  in  the  field 
and  the  heaven-sent  message  of  joy  to  them.  Tell 
the  story  in  all  its  original  simplicity,  keeping  rather 
closely  to  the  text,  and  especially  using  the  words  of 
the  text  for  the  message  of  the  angel  (vss.  10,  n); 
the  song  of  the  heavenly  host  (vs.  14).  Then  let 
the  class  read  vs.  20,  which  expresses  the  feelings  of 
the  shepherds. 

After  thus  treating  the  lesson  with  the  class,  let 
them  fill  out  the  blanks  in  this  section  of  their  book 
and  write  the  story  of  the  announcement  to  the  shep- 
herds, incorporating  vss.  10,  n,  and  14  in  their 
proper  places. 

Home  work. — Commit  to  memory  Luke  2:8-11, 
13-14;  also  the  hymn,  "It  Came  upon  the  Midnight 
Clear,"  printed  in  the  pupil's  book. 

§5.   Wise  Men  from  the  East  and  the  Schemes  of 
Herod 

Scripture  narrative. — Matt.  2:1-18. 

References  for  Study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  43,  44;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  II,  chap,  viii;  Geikie,  Life 
and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xi;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Car- 
penter of  Nazareth,  pp.  31-41 ;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ, 
chaps,  iii,  iv;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  26- 
40;  Wallace,  Ben  Hur,  Book  I,  chaps,  i-v. 

Illustrative  material. — Various  pictures  of  the  visit 
of  the  magi  and  of  the  flight  into  Egypt  may  be 


24  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

selected  from  the  Brown,  Perry,  and  Wilde  series. 
Some  of  the  best  are  Hofmann's  "Worship  of  the 
Magi,"  furnished  with  this  section;  "The  Flight 
into  Egypt,"  by  the  same  artist  (Brown  no.  811, 
Perry  no.  79yE,  Wilde  no.  25);  Benz,  "Repose  in 
Egypt"  (Brown  no.  1129,  Wilde  no.  28). 

Explanatory  notes. — The  story  of  the  magi,  like 
that  of  the  shepherds,  is  intended  to  portray  the  in- 
terest of  the  universe  in  the  birth  of  the  Son  of  God. 
In  this  case  the  wise  ones  of  earth  express  their  adora- 
tion and  joy,  while  the  heavenly  interest  takes  the 
form  of  a  starry  wonder.  Matthew  undoubtedly 
introduces  the  story  also  with  a  historical  purpose, 
to  show  how  the  infant  Jesus  was  brought  into  con- 
tact with  Herod,  and  thus  account  for  the  further 
movements  of  the  Holy  Family.  Vs.  i,  "Herod  the 
king":  Herod  the  Great,  so  called,  not  from  any 
greatness  of  soul,  but  because  he  was  the  most  power- 
ful of  the  family  of  Herods  and  undoubtedly  pos- 
sessed much  skill  as  a  ruler.  He  ruled  from  37  to 
4  B.  c.,  was  cruel,  unscrupulous,  and  cunning.  He 
was  heartily  disliked  by  the  Pharisees,  and  returned 
their  enmity  with  interest.  He  did  much  to  add 
to  the  material  prosperity  of  the  land  and  rebuilt 
the  temple  with  great  splendor.  (See  Burton  and 
Mathews,  Life  oj  Christ,  pp.  13,  14;  or  Bible  dic- 
tionary, article  "Herod.")  "Wise  men  from  the 
East":  learned  men  from  Babylonia,  Persia,  or 
some  eastern  nation.  They  made  much  of  astrology 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS  25 

and  science,  and  numbered  many  earnest,  truth- 
seeking  souls  among  them.  Vs.  2,  "Where  is  he 
that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews" :  The  question  shows 
that  these  eastern  magi  at  least  knew  of  the  messianic 
expectation.  "His  star  in  the  East":  many  specu- 
lations have  been  indulged  in  as  to  the  nature  of 
this  phenomenon,  and  attempts  have  been  made  to 
connect  it  with  various  comets,  etc.,  but  without 
assured  success.  Vs.  3,  "when  Herod  the  king 
heard  it,  he  was  troubled":  at  the  thought  of  a 
possible  rival.  His  discomfiture  would  be  increased 
by  the  knowledge  that  he  was  not  popular  with  the 
Jews,  and  that  they  would  gladly  welcome  a  leader 
of  their  own.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  city  would 
be  troubled  by  anything  that  disturbed  their  ruler. 
Vs.  4,  "he  inquired  of  them  where  the  Christ  should 
be  born":  indicating  that  he  also  was  conversant 
with  the  Jewish  expectation  and  teaching  regarding 
the  Messiah.  Vs.  5,  "for  thus  it  is  written  by  the 
prophet " :  Mic.  5:2. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — This  story  presents 
strong  contrasts  that  may  be  brought  out  in  a  manner 
very  pleasing  to  children.  The  parallel  column  is 
used  for  this  purpose.  On  the  one  hand  are  the 
magi,  wise  men  from  the  East,  represented  as  earnest, 
reverent  men,  desiring  to  find  the  young  child  that 
they  might  worship  him,  seeking  him  by  open  in- 
quiry and  succeeding  in  their  quest.  On  the  other 
is  Herod,  king  of  Judea,  crafty,  cruel,  suspicious, 


26  THELlFEOFjESUS 

seeking  Jesus  that  he  may  kill  a  possible  rival,  using 
falsehood  and  treachery  that  he  may  accomplish  his 
aim,  and  failing  in  the  attempt.  In  the  struggle  be- 
tween these  two  opposing  forces  are  seen  the  triumph 
of  the  right  and  God's  care  for  his  own. 

Two  practical  lessons  at  once  suggest  themselves. 
One  is  suggested  by  the  joyful  adoration  of  the  magi, 
representing  the  best  learning  of  far-distant  lands. 
They  were  glad  to  worship  and  offer  gifts  to  a  babe 
who  was  as  yet  but  the  representative  of  a  fond  hope. 
To  us  he  is  the  Christ  of  history,  founder  of  the 
Christian  church  and  source  of  the  best  the  world 
has  ever  known.  So  much  the  greater  is  his  claim 
upon  the  best  we  have  to  offer.  This  thought  is 
well  expressed  by  Mr.  Dix's  hymn,  "The  Babe  of 
Bethlehem." 

The  other  lesson  is  suggested  by  the  outcome  of 
Herod's  attempt  upon  the  young  child's  life,  and  is 
well  summed  up  by  the  verses  Ps.  91:1,  n.  God 
cares  for  his  own,  and  they  are  immortal  while  their 
work  lasts.  No  more  practically  helpful  thought 
can  be  given  to  the  young  child,  avoiding  of  course 
the  impression  that  God  never  lets  anything  unfavor- 
able befall  his  children.  Such  an  impression  will 
lead  to  inevitable  shocks  to  faith.  Jesus  was  finally 
killed  by  his  enemies,  but  God  was  with  him  to  the 
end  and  received  him  unto  himself.  The  trium- 
phant faith  sees  God  even  in  trial. 

For  the  sake  of  variety,  this  story  may  be  de- 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JESUS  27 

veloped  a  little  differently  from  the  last.  Let  the 
pupil  read  the  Scripture  narrative  for  himself.  Ex- 
plain who  the  magi  were,  and  enough  of  their 
belief  in  astrology  to  account  for  their  following  the 
star;  tell  something  about  Herod,  and  note  that 
even  these  eastern  wise  men  knew  of  the  messianic 
hope. 

Then  let  the  pupil  fill  out  the  parallel  columns 
and  the  blanks  in  the  outline  sketch  following.  Read 
the  hymn,  "The  Babe  of  Bethlehem,"  and  question 
the  pupil  as  to  its  meaning,  thus  bringing  out  the 
lesson  suggested  above.  What,  for  example,  is  the 
meaning  of 

So  may  we,  with  willing  feet, 

Ever  seek  the  mercy  seat. 

What  were  the  "gifts  most  rare"  brought  by  the 
magi?  What  are  our  costliest  "treasures"? 

If  Ps.  2  has  been  used  in  connection  with  §  2,  it 
may  be  recalled  here  as  suggesting  the  same  con- 
trast between  the  wise  men  of  earth  and  foolish  kings 
as  is  presented  by  this  story. 

Home  work. — (In  advance)  read  Matt.  2:1-18; 
(after  the  lesson)  learn  the  hymn  "The  Babe  of 
Bethlehem."  Van  Dyke's  Story  of  the  Other  Wise 
Man  will  make  good  supplementary  reading. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS 
§  6.   At  Home  and  at  School 

Scripture  narrative. — Matt.  2:19-23;  Luke  2: 39, 
40,  51,  52;  Matt,  13:54-58;  Mark  6:1-5. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  35-37,  43-45;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  II,  chap,  ix; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chaps,  xii,  xiii; 
Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  27-34;  Bird,  Jesus  the 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  42-47;  Farrar,  Life  of 
Christ,  chap.  v. 

Illustrative  material. — One  of  the  best  pictures  is 
that  of  "  The  Boyhood  of  Jesus,"  by  Tissot.  Others 
are  Hofmann's  "Childhood  of  Christ"  (Brown  no. 
816,  Perry  no.  797F,  Wilde  no.  31);  and  various 
views  of  Nazareth,  one  of  which  is  furnished  with 
this  section. 

Explanatory  notes. — Matt.  2:19,  "when  Herod 
was  dead":  4  B.  c.  Vs.  22:  Archelaus  was  one  of 
the  three  sons  of  Herod,  between  whom  his  kingdom 
was  divided;  Archclaus  having  Judea,  Samaria,  and 
Idumea;  Herod  Antipas,  Galilee  and  Perea;  and 
Herod  Philip  receiving  a  tetrachy  to  the  east  of  Gali- 
lee and  the  Jordan.  Archelaus  was  the  worst  of 
the  three  and  as  cruel  as  his  father  had  been. 


THE  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS          29 

He  was  removed  after  ten  years  because  of  the  pro- 
tests of  his  subjects.  This  explains  Joseph's  action 
in  avoiding  the  realm  of  Archelaus.  Vs.  23:  They 
naturally  sought  their  old  home,  Nazareth  (cf.  ex- 
planatory notes,  §  i). 

Luke  2 : 40,  52 :  a  concise  summary  of  the  progress 
of  Jesus'  normal,  happy  childhood;  a  process  of 
growth  in  physical  strength,  mental  power,  and 
spiritual  graces.  While  the  biblical  material  is 
meager,  we  may  safely  supplement  it  by  what  is 
known  of  the  life  of  Jewish  children  of  that  time. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  Jesus  was  brought  up  very 
much  as  any  Jewish  lad  of  good  parents  would  be 
(cf.  §  2  and  the  references  above). 

Matt.  13:54-58  and  Mark  6:1-5  give  us  hints  as 
to  the  other  members  of  the  home  at  Nazareth,  also 
the  occupation  of  Joseph  and  a  suggestion  that  Jesus 
also  worked  at  this  trade. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — As  this  is  a  section  upon 
which  the  class  will  not  find  it  so  easy  to  gather  in- 
formation for  themselves,  it  will  be  well  to  develop 
it  rather  completely  in  story  form,  drawing  out  by 
questions  whatever  the  pupils  can  supply,  and  sup- 
plementing by  information  gathered  from  the 
teacher's  reading,  something  as  follows : 

We  have  learned  how  Joseph  took  Mary  and  the 
infant  Jesus  down  into  Egypt  to  escape  the  cruelty  of 
King  Herod.  There  they  remained  safe  and  sound 
until  word  came  that  Herod  was  dead.  Joseph 


30  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

then  thought  it  would  be  safe  to  return,  and  so  they 
left  their  temporary  home  and  started  back  to  Pales- 
tine. But  when  they  came  to  Judea,  in  which 
Bethlehem  was,  they  learned  that  one  of  Herod's 
sons,  Archelaus,  was  governor.  As  he  was  quite  as 
wicked  and  cruel  as  his  father,  they  feared  to  stay 
there,  and  so  went  on  to  the  north  to  their  old  home 
town.  What  was  its  name?  (If  the  class  do  not 
remember,  let  them  look  it  up,  turning  back  to  §  3, 
or  cf.  Matt.  2:23.)  Here  Jesus  grew  up  as  a  boy, 
and  a  beautiful  spot  it  was.  (Show  the  picture  of 
Nazareth  here,  and  describe  the  surroundings  as 
briefly  and  vividly  as  possible.)  Here  Jesus  played 
with  the  blocks  and  shavings  in  his  father's  shop,  or 
raced  after  the  butterflies  and  shouted  with  delight 
over  the  gorgeous  flowers  and  sweet  bird-songs.  He 
enjoyed  himself  just  as  any  healthy,  happy,  innocent 
child  would  do  in  such  a  place.  As  he  grew  older 
he  no  doubt  went  fishing,  or  gathered  nuts  in  the 
woods.  Many  strange  and  wonderful  tales  are  told 
of  things  he  did  when  a  boy  (cf .  Longfellow's  "  The 
Golden  Legend  ").  But,  while  most  of  these  stories 
are  only  fancies,  we  know  that  Jesus  must  have  lived 
like  other  Jewish  lads.  When  he  was  six  years  old 
he  went  to  school,  as  you  do,  but  the  school  would 
seem  very  strange  to  you.  Think  of  a  schoolroom 
without  any  desks  or  seats,  except  perhaps  some  very 
low  benches,  with  a  platform  a  little  higher  for  the 
teacher.  Instead  of  studying  as  we  do  now,  they 


THE  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS          31 

had  little  strips  of  parchment  with  passages  from 
the  Old  Testament  written  on  them.  These  the 
teacher  would  read  aloud,  and  the  pupils  would 
repeat  the  words  after  him  in  a  sing-song  voice  until 
they  learned  them  all  by  heart.  If  we  open  our 
Bibles  to  Ex.  20:12  and  Deut.  6:4-5,  we  shall  find 
some  of  the  things  these  Jewish  boys  were  taught; 
for  example,  to  respect  and  love  their  parents  and  to 
love  God  best  of  all.  When  Jesus  was  thirteen  years 
old  he  would  be  called  a  "son  of  the  law,"  by  which 
was  meant  that  he  was  old  enough  to  know  what 
the  law  meant  and  to  live  as  it  required.  This  was 
no  easy  thing,  for  the  law  that  some  of  the  Jewish 
teachers  taught  was  full  of  all  sorts  of  rules  for  almost 
everything  a  person  might  do,  from  morning  to  night. 
This  made  life  a  pretty  hard  matter  for  the  Jewish 
lad  who  really  wanted  to  live  up  to  what  he  was 
taught.  Do  you  boys  and  girls  ever  think  it  a  nui- 
sance to  have  to  wash  your  faces  and  hands  in  the 
morning?  What  would  you  think  if,  when  you 
wakened  in  the  morning,  you  were  not  allowed  to 
touch  your  face  with  your  hand  until  after  you 
had  washed  in  a  certain  manner;  taking  the  pitcher 
with  one  hand  and  pouring  water  over  the  other 
three  times,  being  very  careful  to  hold  your  hand  in 
a  certain  manner;  then,  taking  the  pitcher  in  the 
other  hand,  repeat  the  operation,  and  then  washing 
the  face  three  times  ?  And  suppose  you  were  taught 
that,  if  you  forgot  to  do  this,  or  did  not  do  it  in  just 


32  THELlFKOFjESUS 

the  right  way,  you  would  not  only  displease  your 
parents,  but  God  also.  Then  you  would  have  rea- 
son to  complain.  The  Jewish  lad's  life  was  just  full 
of  such  regulations  and  rules,  and  as  Jesus  grew  up 
he  came  to  see  how  foolish  it  was  to  burden  people 
with  such  restrictions  and  call  that  religion,  instead 
of  helping  them  to  live  kindly  with  each  other,  loving 
and  serving  each  other  and  so  serving  God.  And 
he  set  himself  to  live  in  this  way  and  to  teach  others 
to  live  so. 

And  so,  in  the  midst  of  such  scenes  and  surround- 
ings, Jesus  grew  to  be  a  big  boy.  The  evangelist 
Luke  has  put  the  story  of  his  growth  into  a  very  few 
words,  which  we  wrote  on  the  first  page  of  our  books. 
It  is  a  very  short  description,  but  it  contains  all  three 
things  that  are  needed  to  make  the  best  kind  of  a 
man  or  woman:  a  strong  body,  a  strong  mind,  and 
a  strong  heart.  How  do  you  think  Jesus  got  each 
one  of  these?  What  have  we  seen  him  doing  that 
would  give  him  a  strong  body  ?  (Play,  outdoor  life.) 
And  where  did  he  get  his  strong  mind  ?  (School 
life  and  trying  even  in  his  play  to  do  his  best.)  And 
the  strong,  pure  heart  that  gave  him  the  favor  of 
God  and  man  ?  This  must  have  grown  day  by  day 
as  he  showed  his  love  by  obeying  his  parents;  as 
he  listened  to  what  his  mother  told  him  of  his  heav- 
enly Father,  and  tried  to  live  accordingly;  as  he 
played  fair  with  his  mates,  by  every  effort  he  made 
to  be  the  best  possible  kind  of  a  boy.  Is  it  true  that 


THE  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS          33 

the  boy  who  has  favor  with  God  will  be  admired  by 
men  also  ?  Which  should  we  strive  for  ?  (Cf.  Matt. 
6:  i.)  If  we  really  gain  this,  will  the  other  also 
come?  What  does  Paul  say  about  the  effects  of 
God's  spirit  in  one's  life  ?  (Gal.  5 : 22,  23.)  Do  you 
like  people  who  have  such  traits  of  character  ? 

After  developing  the  story  thus,  let  the  pupil  fill 
out  the  blanks  in  his  book,  supplementing  the  in- 
formation gained  from  the  story  by  looking  up  the 
references  given. 

Home  work. — Read  Matt.  2 : 19-23  and  Luke  2 : 
51,  52.  Read  Matt.  13: 54-58,  and  notice  the  names 
of  Jesus'  brothers. 

$  7.   A  Visit  to  Jerusalem 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  2 : 41-50. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  45,  46;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  II,  chap,  x;  Geikie,  Life  and 
Words  of  Christ,  chaps,  xiv,  xv;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Car- 
penter of  Nazareth,  pp.  47-53 ;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ, 
chap.  vi. 

Illustrative  material. — A  view  of  Jerusalem  from 
the  Mount  of  Olives  is  furnished  with  this  section. 
Other  pictures  are  Mengelberg,  "Jesus  on  His  Way 
to  Jerusalem,  "(Wilde  no.  34) ;  Holman  Hunt,  "  Jesus 
in  the  Temple"  (Brown  no.  1117,  Wilde  no.  35); 
Hofmann,  "Jesus  with  the  Doctors"  (Wilde  no.  39). 
Hofmann  has  two  pictures  of  this  scene,  of  which 


34  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

the  one  just  mentioned  is  the  better.  It  represents 
Jesus  in  an  inquiring  attitude,  while  the  other  pre- 
sents him  as  giving  instruction  to  the  rabbis.  The 
former  conception  is  more  in  keeping  with  the  spirit 
of  modesty  which  Jesus  surely  possessed  as  a  lad 
of  twelve. 

Explanatory  notes. — Luke  2:41,  "went  every 
year":  as  required  by  the  Jewish  law,  which  de- 
manded attendance  upon  at  least  three  of  the  great 
feasts;  and  the  greatest  stress  was  laid  upon  the 
Passover  (Ex.  23:14-17;  34:23;  Deut.  16:16). 
Everyone  who  could  possibly  attend  did  so,  often 
coming  from  great  distances.  "The  feast  of  the 
Passover":  the  great  feast  of  the  Jews,  from  the 
1 5th  to  the  22d  of  the  month  Nisan,  corresponding 
to  our  March- April,  observed  in  commemoration, of 
the  deliverance  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt — a  sort 
of  Independence  Day,  like  our  fourth  of  July.  It 
was  a  day  of  joyous  celebration,  and  the  hymn  which 
they  sang  at  this  feast,  the  "Hallel,"  comprising 
Pss.  113-18,  may  be  compared  to  our  "America." 
Vs.  43,  "when  they  had  fulfilled  the  days":  i.e., 
the  days  of  the  feast  as  above.  Vs.  44,  "  supposing 
him  to  be  in  the  company":  Considerable  numbers 
of  people  from  one  locality  would  join  in  a  caravan 
to  go  up  to  these  feasts.  It  would  be  easy  to  lose 
sight  of  a  boy  amidst  so  many.  Vs.  46,  "in  the 
midst  of  the  doctors,  both  hearing  them  and  asking 
them  questions":  taking  advantage  of  the  oppor- 


THE  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS          35 

tunity  offered  by  the  custom  of  the  rabbis  of  gather- 
ing groups  about  them  in  the  temple  courts  for  teach- 
ing and  discussion.  The  picture  is  one,  not  of  a 
precocious  lad  setting  himself  above  his  elders,  but 
of  one  eager  for  knowledge,  seeking  it  in  the  spirit 
of  an  eager  and  reverent  learner,  and  yet  astonishing 
his  elders  by  his  keenness  of  perception  and  the  per- 
tinency of  his  questions.  The  conception  of  this 
scene  which  makes  Jesus  the  teacher  may  give  rise 
to  most  unfortunate  ideas  in  the  mind  of  the  child. 
Vs.  49:  The  reply  of  Jesus  to  his  parents  reveals 
the  attitude  of  his  mind  toward  God  and  his  house. 
God  was  his  "father,"  and  his  house  the  most 
natural  place  for  him  to  be  and  to  love  to  be.  As 
a  boy  Jesus  must  have  heard  much  of  these  temple 
schools  where  learned  men  discussed  lofty  themes 
and  were  supposed  to  teach  the  people  more  about 
God.  We  may  well  imagine  the  eagerness  with 
which  he  looked  forward  to  the  opportunity  of  hear- 
ing these  men,  just  as  many  a  country  boy  has 
looked  upon  the  academy  or  the  college  as  the  goal 
of  his  hopes. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  concluding  words 
of  the  last  paragraph  give  the  keynote  of  this  lesson. 
Its  main  object  should  be  to  present  the  picture  of 
an  earnest,  reverent  lad,  eager  for  knowledge  and 
above  all  for  the  knowledge  of  God;  loving  God 
and  looking  upon  him  in  the  most  natural  way  as 
his  father,  and  turning  very  naturally  to  the  first 


36  THELlFEOFjESUS 

opportunity  of  hearing  more  of  the  things  of  his 
house. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  trip  up  to  Jerusalem  to  the 
Passover.  Read  enough  about  the  Passover  to  be 
able  to  bring  out  something  of  the  spirit  which  per- 
vaded it.  A  point  of  contact  is  suggested  in  the  ex- 
planatory notes:  it  was  their  Independence  Day. 
The  reference  in  Bird  puts  one  into  the  spirit  of  the 
scene  as  the  pilgrims  take  their  way  up  to  the  city. 

It  was  April,  and  the  great  seven  days'  festival,  called 
the  Passover,  was  near,  to  which  everybody  should  go,  and 
for  the  first  time  Jesus  was  to  go,  with  his  father  and  mother, 
away  beyond  the  hills,  with  crowds  of  people,  to  the  great 
city — a  memorable  event  for  a  boy.  Everywhere  the  people 
had  been  preparing  for  it  for  weeks  past,  sorting  the  roads, 
mending  the  bridges,  and  making  new  clothes  and  sandals, 
and  cutting  fresh  sticks;  for  it  was  the  most  joyful  festival 
of  the  year.  With  much  stir  the  company  from  Nazareth, 
all  in  their  bright  holiday  dresses,  got  ready  their  horses, 
camels,  and  asses;  for  someone  went  from  every  house;  and 
in  the  early  morning,  Mary  riding  on  the  ass,  and  Jesus,  stick 
in  hand,  walking  joyfully  by  his  father's  side,  they  started, 
winding  down  the  broad  highland  valley,  with  green  fields 
spreading  away,  and  the  bright  spring  wildflowers  nodding 
in  the  breeze  by  the  roadside;  while  from  the  thick  hedges 
came  the  song  of  birds.  A  bend  in  the  road,  and  the  white 
houses  of  the  village  were  hidden  from  view,  and  soon,  a 
joyful  company,  singing  glad  songs  to  the  music  of  the  tim- 
brel, pipe,  and  drum,  they  marched  across  the  rich  plain  of 
Esdraelon.  Resting  at  noonday  under  green  trees,  in  the 
afternoon  they  started  refreshed,  and  traveled  until  evening, 
when  white  tents  were  put  up  and  the  evening  meal  prepared. 


THE  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS          37 

Tired  with  walking,  Jesus  was  soon  asleep,  but  with  the  first 
light  of  day  the  march  was  resumed;  and  as  they  went  along 
the  great  public  roads,  they  were  joined  by  bands  of  people  from 
other  villages,  all  marching  to  the  same  festival  at  Jerusalem. 

The  fourth  day  was  the  greatest  of  all,  for  then  they  came 
within  sight  of  Jerusalem.  Having  toiled  up  the  wild,  hot, 
rugged  road  from  Jericho,  they  climbed  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
and  then  Joseph  would  tell  Jesus  to  look  out  for  the  most 
glorious  sight  in  the  world;  and  as  they  followed  the  bend 
of  the  road  round  the  shoulder  of  the  hill,  suddenly  the  great 
city  in  all  its  magnificence  appeared,  like  a  dream  before 
them.  It  seemed  quite  near,  on  an  opposite  lower  hill,  with 
a  deep  ravine  between,  and  Jesus  could  see  it  all.  There 
stood  the  great  thick  walls,  with  their  square  towers  of  defense; 
there,  the  marble  palaces  of  kings,  priests,  and  governors; 
there,  the  forts  and  castles  for  soldiers.  But  the  sun  shone 
most  brightly  on  the  Temple,  which  was  on  the  side  of  the 
city  nearest  to  Jesus,  like  a  mighty  cathedral  on  a  wall  of 
white,  built  up  from  the  ravine  below — colonnades,  cloisters, 
porches,  pillars,  arches,  and  outer  buildings  all  of  white 
marble;  while  within  the  great  open  square  stood  the  holy 
place,  terrace  rising  above  terrace  in  white  and  gold,  and 
high  above  all  was  the  roof  of  bright  gold  reflecting  the  sun. 
With  a  shout,  the  company  from  Nazareth  burst  into  a  joyous 
song,  waving  green  branches  as  they  came  over  the  hill,  Jesus 
singing  with  the  rest;  for  truly  this  was  the  most  glorious 
sight  the  boy  had  ever  seen.  And  he  gazed  at  it  as  they 
descended  the  hillside,  toward  the  bridge  across  the  Kedron 
near  to  which  green  slope  of  Olivet  the  people  from  Galilee 
pitched  their  tents  for  the  night;  for  they  did  not  intend 
to  live  in  the  city,  which  was  already  crowded  with  people. 

Either  read  this  extract  to  the  class  or  tell  the 
story,  picturing  the  people  as  they  journey  along. 


38  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

We  may  imagine  them  singing  such  songs  as  Ps. 
122,  and  it  may  add  interest  to  have  the  class  read 
this  Psalm  together,  at  an  appropriate  point  in  the 
story.  Show  the  picture  of  Jerusalem  from  the 
Mount  of  Olives  as  giving  the  view  that  Jesus  had 
when  he  reached  the  summit  of  that  mountain. 
Describe  the  sights  which  Jesus  would  see  as  he 
came  into  the  city  during  the  festival  (cf.  references 
to  Bird,  Edersheim,  or  Geikie);  tell  something  of 
the  Passover  feast  and  the  song  which  was  sung 
then.  Let  the  class  read  selections  from  this  Hallel, 
Pss.  113-18,  and  have  them  learn  the  refrain  of 
Ps.  118:  i,  29.  Compare  this  with  "America"  which 
we  sing  on  our  Independence  Day  and  at  school. 
This  gives  the  thought  which  must  have  been  upper- 
most in  the  mind  of  Jesus:  that  it  was  God,  the 
Father  of  his  people,  who  was  to  be  thanked  for  all 
the  glorious  things  which  they  were  celebrating. 
And  as  he  saw  the  learned  doctors  sitting  in  the  tem- 
ple courts  and,  going  near,  heard  them  discussing 
matters  of  the  law  of  God,  this  interested  him  more 
than  anything  else,  and  there  he  stayed  even  after 
the  rest  had  gone.  And  what  of  his  parents  ?  '  Let 
the  class  read  of  their  missing  him  and  their  search 
and  its  ending.  Care  must  be  taken  to  bring  out 
the  true  meaning  of  Jesus'  reply  to  his  mother's 
question.  (The  correct  translation  is  undoubtedly 
not  "about  my  Father's  business,"  but  "in  my 
Father's  house.")  It  is  not  a  reproof;  it  is  rather 


THE  BOYHOOD  or  JESUS          39 

as  if  he  had  said:  "Why,  mother  dear,  didn't  you 
know  where  I  was  ?  Where  could  I  be  except  here 
where  I  can  learn  more  about  my  Heavenly  Father 
of  whom  you  have  told  me  so  much  ? " 

Boys  are  to  be  judged  by  the  things  that  interest 
them.  By  this  standard,  what  judgment  can  we 
make  of  Jesus  at  this  time  of  his  life  ? 

Home  work. — (In  advance)  read  the  narrative 
in  Luke  2 : 41-50.  (After  the  lesson)  learn  Ps.  1 18 :  i 
and  Ps.  122,  and  be  able  to  tell  how  these  songs 
were  used  at  the  Passover  time. 

§8.   Review  of  Introduction  and  Chapters  I  and  II 

The  work  on  this  section  should  be  done  from 
memory.  For  the  map-work  use  the  review  map, 
upon  which  no  marks  are  to  be  made,  it  being  kept 
for  this  review  work  of  memory.  Let  the  class  an- 
swer the  questions,  bringing  in  the  oral  work  as 
indicated,  for  variety.  Let  one  tell  the  story,  and 
then  others  make  the  corrections  or  additions.  Other 
memory  work  that  has  been  assigned  during  the 
course  of  the  work  may  be  called  for  as  time  may 
permit. 


CHAPTER  III 

JESUS  BEGINNING  HIS  WORK 

§  9.     His  Baptism 

Scripture  narrative.— Matt.  3:1-17;  Mark  i :  i-i  i ; 
Luke  3 : 1-23(1. 

References  for  study.— Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  49-58;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  chaps, 
ii,  Hi ;  Gilbert,  The  Student's  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  117-25 ; 
Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Book  II,  chaps,  xi,  rii;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of 
Christ,  chaps,  xxiii-xxvi;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter 
of  Nazareth,  pp.  53-62 ;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap, 
viii ;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  chap.  iii. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  the  fords  of 
the  Jordan  is  furnished  with  this  section.  It  is  not 
intended  to  imply  that  this  is  a  view  of  the  place 
where  Jesus  was  baptized,  but  to  give  an  idea  of  the 
scene.  Other  pictures  are  Tissot,  "John  the  Bap- 
tist Preaching  in  the  Wilderness;"  del  Sarto,  "John 
the  Baptist"  (Brown  no.  1653,  Perry  no.  360, 
Wilde  no.  42) ;  Titian,  "  John  Preaching  "  (Brown 
no.  469,  Wilde  no.  43) ;  scenes  on  the  Jordan  (Wilde 
nos.  206,  207,  305);  "Baptizing  in  the  Jordan" 
(Underwood  Ster.  no.  3126);  "Plain  of  the  Jordan" 
(Underwood  Ster.  no.  3129). 

Explanatory  notes. — Mark  opens  his  book   with 


JESUS   BEGINNING  His  WORK     41 

the  words,  "  The  beginning  of  the  gospel,"  referring 
not  to  the  beginning  of  his  own  work,  but  to  that  of 
the  gospel  story.  He  does  not  give  us  any  of  the 
stories  of  the  infancy,  but  strikes  at  once  into  what 
seems  to  him  the  real  gospel,  the  story  of  the  active 
life  of  Jesus,  to  which  the  work  of  John  was  simply 
introductory.  To  the  quotation  from  Isaiah  (40:3) 
aptly  descriptive  of  John's  work  as  simply  a  voice, 
there  is  prefixed  a  quotation  from  Mai.  3:1.  It  will 
help  to  bring  out  the  situation  more  clearly  if  the 
accounts  of  John's  preaching  are  read  in  the  follow- 
ing order :  Mark  i :  i ;  Luke  3 : 1-14,  with  Matt.  3:7; 
Mark  1:5-6;  Luke  3:15-20.  Such  a  reading  will 
indicate  the  personality  and  character  of  John;  his 
message  of  the  coming  kingdom  and  the  need  of 
sincere  repentance,  symbolized  by  baptism  and 
manifested  by  righteous  living;  the  stirring  effect  of 
this  message  upon  the  people,  expectant  as  they  were 
of  the  messianic  kingdom;  and  their  eager  question- 
ings and  searching  of  hearts. 

Now  think  of  Jesus  growing  up  at  Nazareth, 
quietly  working  day  by  day  with  his  father,  but  never 
for  a  moment  forgetting  the  high  ideals  that  had  been 
his  from  early  boyhood.  He  too  longed  for  the 
messianic  deliverance;  for,  like  every  right-minded 
boy,  he  loved  his  people;  but  he  saw  very  clearly 
that  it  was  not  merely  deliverance  from  the  rule  of 
Rome  that  they  most  needed.  He  saw  so  much  of 
sinfulness  all  about  him.  He  saw  that  even  the 


43  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

religious  leaders  were  not  as  sincere  and  helpful  as 
they  ought  to  be.  They  did  not  understand  God  as 
he  did,  and  he  must  have  often  longed  to  teach  his 
fellow-men  about  the  heavenly  Father  as  he  knew  him. 

As  Jesus  worked  and  planned  thus,  there  came  the 
word  that  his  kinsman  John  had  come  from  his 
retirement  in  the  wilderness  and  was  preaching  with 
tremendous  power  to  great  crowds  of  people.  He 
was  preaching  of  the  coming  of  the  kingdom,  and 
emphasizing  the  need  of  repentance  and  a  righteous 
life  in  preparation  for  it.  Men  were  saying  that 
John  must  himself  be  the  Messiah.  We  may  think 
of  Jesus  as  saying  to  himself:  "Here  is  one  who  sees 
the  truth  that  the  messianic  deliverance  must  be 
first  of  all  a  deliverance  from  sin.  As  one  who 
wishes  to  serve  his  fellows  in  the  highest  way,  I 
ought  to  take  my  stand  with  John  and  declare  my 
allegiance  to  these  principles." 

And  so  Jesus  comes  to  John,  taking  the  first  step 
that  seems  a  clear  call  of  duty,  putting  himself  on 
record  as  looking  for  a  kingdom  of  right  living.  And 
in  the  taking  of  the  first  step  he  finds,  as  is  ever  the 
case,  the  next  one  made  clear.  He  comes  to  John 
as  the  best  representative  and  spokesman  of  the  true 
messianic  rule,  only  to  find  that  he  himself  is  to  be  its 
leader. 

The  place  of  the  baptism  is  not  known  with  cer- 
tainty. It  was  probably  near  Bethabara,  toward 
the  southern  end  of  Galilee.  The  purpose  of  Jesus 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK     43 

in  being  baptized  is  indicated  above.  It  was  not, 
as  with  others,  a  confession  of  sin.  John  himself 
recognized  the  needlessness  of  it  from  that  point  of 
view,  and  felt  that  it  would  be  more  appropriate  for 
him  to  be  baptized  of  Jesus.  Jesus'  reply  is  in  keep- 
ing with  the  idea  that  he  was  taking  this  step  to  put 
himself  on  record  as  standing  for  the  righteous  life, 
not  as  confessing  that  his  life  had  not  been  such. 
He  was  taking  the  vows  for  a  life  of  devotion  to  the 
right.  And  there  came  to  him  an  experience  which 
was  undoubtedly  a  spiritual  one,  a  sense  of  acceptance 
with  God  and  the  commission  to  be  in  a  special 
sense  his  representative  to  men.  However  much 
Jesus  may  have  thought  of  his  own  place  in  the 
world  before,  it  seems  quite  certain  that  his  messianic 
consciousness  was  greatly  deepened  now.  It  was  a 
time  of  solemn  consecration  with  the  accompanying 
inspiration  of  high  resolves.  Tennyson  tells  in  "The 
Coming  of  Arthur"  how  the  king's  warriors  were 
affected  by  their  pledges  of  loyalty  to  him: 

....  when  the  savage  yells 
Of  Uther*s  peerage  died,  and  Arthur  sat 
Crowned  on  the  dais,  and  his  warriors  cried, 
"  Be  thou  the  king,  and  we  will  work  thy  will 
Who  love  thee."    Then  the  King  in  low  deep  tones, 
And  simple  words  of  great  authority, 
Bound  them  by  so  strait  vows  to  his  own  self, 
That  when  they  rose,  knighted  from  kneeling,  some 
Were  pale  as  at  the  passing  of  a  ghost, 
Some  flush' d,  and  others  dazed,  as  one  who  wakes 
Half -blinded  at  the  coming  of  a  light. 


44  THELlFEOFjESUS 

So,  Jesus,  in  this  moment  of  solemn  consecration  to 
his  God  and  Father,  saw  more  clearly  than  ever 
before  the  wonderful  vision  of  his  own  exalted 
mission  among  men. 

Suggestions  ]or  leaching. — The  main  object  in  this 
section  is  to  show  how  Jesus  entered  upon  his  great 
life-work,  by  taking  the  next  step  that  seemed  clearly 
right,  and  in  so  doing  found  the  rest  of  the  way  open- 
ing before  him.  Carefully  study  the  section  as  sug- 
gested above,  and  spend  enough  time  thinking  it 
over  to  get  the  facts  clearly  and  vividly  in  mind. 

The  class  having  read  the  gospel  narrative,  develop 
the  story  by  questions,  supplemented  by  some  neces- 
sary information.  The  following  outline  may  be 
suggestive : 

We  have  learned  of  the  infancy  and  boyhood  of 
Jesus,  now  we  are  to  see  him  entering  upon  his  life- 
work.  Where  was  he  living?  What  was  he  doing 
there  ?  What  had  he  shown  the  greatest  interest  in 
as  a  boy  ?  While  working  at  his  trade  in  that  quiet 
little  village,  he  must  have  thought  a  great  deal  about 
what  was  going  on  outside,  and  of  the  wants  and 
needs  of  his  fellow-men.  They  were  subjects  of 
Rome,  you  remember.  What  did  they  most  long 
for?  Was  freedom  from  Rome  all  they  needed? 
What  did  Jesus  think  about  it?  But  there  were 
many  earnest,  godly  people  among  the  Jews,  and  to 
two  of  these,  a  priest  named  Zacharias  and  his  wife 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK       45 

Elizabeth,  God  had  given  a  little  son,  who  had  grown 
to  be  a  strong  and  good  man.  (Tell  briefly  of  John's 
life  in  the  wilderness,  his  sudden  appearance  and 
preaching,  and  it's  effect  on  the  people.)  It  would 
not  be  long  before  Jesus  heard  of  this.  For  years 
he  had  been  thinking  and  praying  that  he  might 
one  day  be  of  service  to  his  fellows.  And  now,  with 
this  great  preacher  calling  to  action,  he  felt  it  was 
time  to  do  something.  What  should  it  be  ?  What 
did  he  do  first  ?  What  did  John  say  when  he  saw 
Jesus  coming  to  him  ?  Why  do  you  suppose  John 
said  this  ?  (Show  the  picture  by  Hofmann  used  as 
the  frontispiece.)  What  kind  of  impression  would  a 
man  with  such  a  face  naturally  make  ?  But  why  did 
Jesus  wish  to  take  this  step  ?  What  great  experience 
came  to  him  as  he  did  so  ?  (Illustrate  this  by  telling 
of  the  crowning  of  Arthur  and  the  scene,  as  Tennyson 
describes  it,  where  the  knights  are  taking  the  vows.) 
How  do  you  feel  when  you  have  done  something  that 
you  know  is  right  ?  Does  it  help  you  to  see  some- 
thing else  to  do  ?  This  is  usually  the  way  with  the 
boy  or  girl  who  feels  that  he  ought  to  join  the  church 
or  accept  Jesus  as  Master.  When  this  step  is  taken, 
it  opens  the  way  for  more.  The  great  question  is: 
What  is  the  right  thing  to  do  next  ? 

Home  work. — Read  the  narrative  in  Matt.  3:1-17. 
Learn,  for  review  of  this  section,  Mark  1:9-11. 


46  THELlFEOFjESUS 

§  10.     Conquering  Temptation 

Scripture  narrative. — Matt.  4:1-11;  Mark  1:12, 
13;  Luke  4: 1-13. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pars.  58-61,  pp.  58-60;  Sanday,  Outlines 
of  the  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  43-45;  Gilbert,  Student's 
Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  126-35;  Rhees,  Life  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  pp.  86-91;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  pp. 
46-56;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the 
Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  i ;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words 
of  Christ,  chap,  xxvii;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of 
Nazareth,  pp.  63-66;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap, 
ix;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  chap.  iii. 

Illustrative  material. — There  are  few,  if  any,  of  the 
pictures  of  the  temptation  that  can  be  recommended 
for  use  with  pupils  of  this  age,  on  account  of  the 
misconceptions  that  arise  from  the  attempt  to  por- 
tray the  spirit  of  evil  in  personal  form.  Perhaps  the 
best  representation  is  that  by  Cornicelius  (Brown 
no.  861),  where  the  presence  of  Satan  is  but  dimly 
shown,  the  attention  being  centered  upon  the  face  of 
Jesus  and  its  expression. 

Explanatory  notes. — After  his  baptism  Jesus  felt 
impelled  to  go  away  by  himself  for  meditation  and 
prayer.  He  had  just  been  through  a  great  spiritual 
experience,  and  had  had  a  new  vision  of  his  mission 
opened  to  him.  It  was  natural  that  he  should  wish 
to  be  by  himself  for  a  time,  to  think  it  all  over  and  to 
lay  plans  for  his  work.  He  had  a  difficult  problem 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK     47 

to  wrestle  with.  He  felt  himself  called  to  be  the 
Messiah,  and  yet  he  knew  that  his  ideal  of  the 
Messiah  was  very  different  from  that  of  the  Jews 
generally.  How  should  he  persuade  them,  head- 
strong, fickle  as  they  were,  to  accept  his  ideal  ?  At 
best  it  would  be  a  difficult  task,  requiring  patience, 
tact,  self-control,  and  love.  It  was,  moreover,  a 
task  fraught  with  danger,  as  he  well  knew.  The 
Jews  were  bigoted  and  fanatical,  and  to  claim  to  be 
the  Messiah  while  not  meeting  their  ideas  would  be 
perilous  in  the  extreme.  This  was  the  problem 
that  engrossed  him  for  so  long,  until  he  was  both 
hungry  and  weary.  As  he  faced  the  question  in  its 
varying  forms,  it  was  inevitable  that  temptations 
should  come:  the  temptation  to  evade  the  responsi- 
bility, to  mistrust  his  own  call,  to  doubt  God's  love, 
and  others  familiar  to  us  all.  We  have  the  account 
of  three  separate  temptations,  expressed  in  figurative 
language,  but  portraying  a  genuine  spiritual  experi- 
ence. It  is  quite  certain  that  the  experience  thus 
described  was  a  spiritual  and  inner  one.  Aside 
from  the  physical  impossibility  of  viewing  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world  from  any  one  mountain- top, 
there  is  a  more  serious  objection  still  to  regarding 
these  as  literal  occurrences.  If  Satan  had  appeared 
in  visible  guise  and  attempted  to  argue  with  Jesus, 
we  cannot  conceive  of  Jesus  as  remaining  in  such 
presence,  much  less  going  with  him  anywhere. 
To  linger  in  the  presence  of  temptation  is  itself  sinful. 


48  THELlFEOFjESUS 

That  our  pupils  may  get  the  meaning  of  these 
experiences,  we  must  interpret  them  in  the  terms  of 
common  experience. 

First  came  the  temptation  to  regard  Material  Wel- 
fare as  essential,  and  distrust  God's  love  if  it  is  not 
granted.  Jesus  was  hungry;  why  should  he  be? 
Was  he  not  God's  beloved  son  ?  Had  he  not  mes- 
sianic powers  at  his  command  ?  Why  not  test  them 
and  see  if  God  really  did  love  him,  and  if  'he  really 
were  called  to  be  the  Messiah  ?  But  Jesus  sees  that 
the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  always  expressed  in 
material  ways,  and  that  there  is  a  higher  life  which 
really  proves  kinship  with  him.  "Man  shall  not 
live  by  bread  alone." 

Second  is  the  temptation  to  be  Artificial;  to 
justify  his  claim  to  be  the  Messiah,  both  to  himself 
and  in  the  eyes  of  men,  by  performing  some  startling, 
sensational  act.  It  is  the  temptation  to  secure  quick 
results  upon  the  basis  of  manufactured  evidence, 
instead  of  quietly  and  patiently  working  out  his 
mission  day  by  day.  Again,  the  subtle  temptation 
to  doubt  God's  love  is  blended  with  this.  If  he  were 
the  beloved  of  God,  would  he  not  protect  him  in  such 
an  effort?  But  Jesus  replies:  "Thou  shalt  not 
tempt  the  Lord  thy  God."  He  will  not  put  aside 
God's  longer  way  for  any  shorter  cut,  wilfully  chosen 
by  himself. 

Third  and  last  is  the  temptation  to  Do  Evil  that 
Good  may  Come.  The  Jews  were  expecting  a 


JESUS  BEGINNING   His  WORK     49 

Messiah  who  should  adopt  the  methods  of  earthly 
kings.  Why  not  meet  their  desires  and  lead  them 
out  to  war  against  their  oppressors?  What  could 
he  not  accomplish,  with  his  power  over  men  ?  And 
they  would  rally  about  him  as  they  had  about  lesser 
ones  who  had  made  the  attempt.  And,  his  kingdom 
once  established,  he  might  rule  in  justice  and  love 
and  righteousness  and  do  much  good.  Yes,  but  at 
what  cost  ?  At  the  cost  of  warfare,  bloodshed,  the 
arousing  of  the  worst  passions  of  men,  ruined  homes, 
weeping  women  and  children.  Never !  This  would 
be  inconsistent  with  a  true  worship  of  God. 

"Then  the  devil  leaveth  him  and  behold,  angels 
came  and  ministered  unto  him" — the  usual  result. 
Temptation  resisted  brings  joy  and  peace  and  new 
strength;  cf.  James  1:12. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  object  of  this  sec- 
tion is  to  make  clear  to  the  pupil  just  how  Jesus 
acted  when  tempted,  and  also  to  note  some  of  the 
temptations  which  he  successfully  met,  interpreted 
in  terms  of  the  pupil's  own  experience.  The  teacher 
will  have  to  explain  the  stories  of  the  temptations  in 
the  light  of  his  reading  and  study.  Then  try  to 
have  them  name  temptations  of  similar  kinds,  sug- 
gesting others  to  complete  the  impression.  Some 
illustrations  are  here  suggested: 

First  temptation :  The  boy  who  wants  all  the  good 
things  that  he  sees  others  have,  and  frets  and  thinks 
his  father  does  not  love  him  if  he  cannot  have  them 


50  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

all.  Men  and  women  who  live  for  money  or  selfish 
pleasures,  forgetting  the  higher  values  of  life. 

Second  temptation:  The  boy  who  tries  to  show  off, 
to  make  a  good  appearance  without  anything  back  of 
it,  thus  trying  to  get  some  advantage  or  recognition 
without  earning  it  by  patient  effort.  A  boy  once 
tried  to  be  elected  captain  of  a  baseball  team  by 
appearing  in  a  fine  new  uniform  and  with  a  new  bat 
and  ball,  but  he  was  unwilling  to  earn  the  place  by 
good  practice. 

Third  temptation:  Boys  and  girls  are  constantly 
tempted  to  do  wrong  for  the  sake  of  securing  a  good 
end;  to  deceive  in  order  to  keep  a  friend;  to  cheat 
in  order  to  pass  an  examination;  to  refuse  to  admit 
that  one  has  done  wrong  lest  it  diminish  one's  influ- 
ence. The  only  safety  is  in  remembering  that 
wrong-doing  always  means  loss,  not  gain.  This 
truth  is  finely  illustrated  by  the  story  of  Trove  and 
the  schoolboy  from  Mr.  Bacheller's  Darrell  of  the 
Blessed  Isles.  Trove,  the  school-teacher,  reproved 
one  of  the  boys  for  being  late.  The  boy  replied,  by 
way  of  excuse  and  to  escape  demerit,  that  he  had 
fifteen  cows  to  milk  before  leaving  home.  "  That's 
a  good  many,"  said  Trove;  "I'll  be  around  in  the 
morning  to  help  you."  When  he  arrived,  he  found 
but  five  cows.  "Too  bad  your  father  lost  so 
many  cows.  All  in  a  single  night,  too,"  said  he. 
"Haven't  you  lost  something  too?"  "No,  sir," 
replied  the  lad.  "  Feel  in  your  pocket  and  see.  No, 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK     51 

not  that  pocket.  It's  an  inner  one,  way  inside, 
where  you  keep  your  honor  and  your  pride.  Haven't 
you  lost  something  there?"  "Yes,  sir,"  said  the 
boy,  the  tears  starting  to  his  eyes,  "I'm  afraid  I 
have." 

Note  too  that  Jesus  met  all  these  temptations  with 
the  use  of  Scripture  texts  that  he  had  thought  over 
until  they  had  come  to  have  deep  meaning  for  him 
and  he  knew  them  by  heart.  Bible  verses  are 
worth  learning. 

Note  also  that  in  every  case  Jesus  kept  his  faith  in 
God  undisturbed.  Whatever  happens,  we  must  not 
doubt  God's  love.  It  has  been  proved  too  often. 

Home  work. — Read  the  narrative  in  Matt.  4:  i-u. 
For  review  of  this  section  learn  the  replies  of  Jesus 
in  vss.  4,  7&,  and  lob  and  be  able  to  tell  what  temp- 
tation he  met  with  each  of  these  replies.  Read 
James  1:12  and  show  how  the  experience  of  Jesus 
illustrated  this  saying. 

§11.    First  Followers 

Scripture  narrative. — John  1:19-51. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews, 
Life  of  Christ,  pars.  65-69,  pp.  61-64;  Edersheim, 
Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III, 
chap,  iii;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap, 
xxviii;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp. 
66-69;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  x;  Phelps, 
Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  94-97. 


52  THELlFEOFjESUS 

Illustrative  material. — Picture  by  Bida,  "Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God"  (Wilde  no.  46). 

Explanatory  notes. — John  had  aroused  much  specu- 
lation as  to  whether  he  were  not  the  promised  Mes- 
siah (see  Luke  3:15);  hence  the  inquiry  in  vs.  19. 
It  was  a  temptation  to  permit  a  higher  estimate  of 
himself  than  the  facts  would  warrant,  but  John  put 
it  aside.  The  next  question,  "Art  thou  Elijah?" 
grew  out  of  a  belief  based  upon  a  literal  interpreta- 
tion of  Mai.  4:5.  "Art  thou  the  prophet"  refers 
to  the  promise  in  Deut.  18:15.  John's  final  reply 
(vs.  23)  is  an  expression  of  his  desire  to  put  aside  all 
personal  credit  or  distinction,  and  to  be  known 
merely  as  a  man  with  a  message  from  God.  The 
spirit  of  this  answer  is  in  keeping  with  all  we  know 
of  John,  shown  again  in  his  declaration  that  he  must 
decrease,  but  the  Christ  must  increase.  The  next 
question  of  the  Jews,  "Why  then  baptizest  thou?" 
shows  that  the  introduction  of  a  new  rite,  such  as 
baptism,  was  a  prerogative  of  the  Messiah.  Bethany 
beyond  Jordan  (marginal  reading,  Bethabara)  can- 
not be  absolutely  located,  but  is  probably  near  the 
southeastern  corner  of  Galilee. 

Vs.  29,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God":  This  is 
John's  comment  as  Jesus  returns  from  his  sojourn 
in  the  wilderness,  showing  that  John  recognized 
another  aspect  in  the  character  of  Jesus  than  that  of 
the  stem  judge  pictured  by  him  in  Matt.  3:10-12. 
Vs.  31,  "I  knew  him  not":  a  distinct  admission  on 


JESUS   BEGINNING  His  WORK     53 

John's  part  that  he  had  had  no  supernatural  pre- 
vision of  the  mission  of  Jesus.  Like  other  godly 
men,  he  had  had  an  ideal  of  the  Messiah,  and  Jesus 
met  it.  Vs.  35 :  another  test  of  the  disinterestedness 
of  John  that  he  so  cheerfully  gave  testimony  to  the 
claims  of  another  leader  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  his 
own  following.  The  two  disciples  were  Andrew 
and,  probably,  John  the  evangelist.  Note  the  quick 
response  of  the  missionary  spirit  in  Andrew,  as  he 
seeks  out  his  brother.  His  statement,  "We  have 
found  the  Messiah,"  must  not  be  taken  as  indicating 
a  too  clear  understanding  of  Jesus'  mission.  They 
felt  that  this  man  must  be  the  expected  one,  but  they 
too  had  to  learn  much  before  they  grasped  his  ideal 
of  the  messiahship. 

The  words  of  Jesus  to  Nathanael,  "When  thou 
wast  under  the  fig  tree,  I  saw  thee,"  may  have  this 
significance,  that  Jesus  had  noticed  Nathanael 
engaged  in  his  devotions  under  the  shade  of  the  tree, 
as  was  a  common  custom,  and  had  been  impressed 
with  his  manner  and  spirit.  Nathanael  is  quick  to 
discern  the  power  of  one  who  can  so  discriminately 
judge  men. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  object  of  this 
lesson  should  be  to  show  how  unselfishly  John  did 
his  work,  the  simplicity  of  the  choice  made  by  these 
first  followers  of  Jesus,  what  led  them  to  it,  and  the 
part  they  played  in  bringing  others. 

Review  briefly  the  previous  section,  and  connect  it 


54  THELlFEOFjESUS 

with  this  by  questions  such  as  these:  What  great 
preacher  was  working  among  the  people?  What 
was  his  message  ?  What  effect  did  it  have  ?  What 
were  men  asking  about  him?  A  committee  from 
the  Jewish  church  even  came  to  him  to  learn  who  he 
was.  It  must  have  been  something  of  a  temptation 
for  John  to  make  himself  out  a  greater  man  than  he 
really  was,  but  he  truthfully  and  nobly  said  "no," 
he  was  not  the  Christ,  but  was  simply  trying  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  his  coming,  to  get  men  ready  to  re- 
ceive him.  Then  tell  the  story,  as  given  in  vss.  35-51, 
of  John's  testimony  and  its  effect  upon  the  disciples. 
What  do  you  suppose  Jesus  and  the  two  talked  about 
during  that  day  mentioned  in  vs.  39?  What  had 
this  to  do  with  their  statement  in  vs.  41  ?  Note 
their  subsequent  activity  in  getting  others.  How 
many  were  there  in  all  ?  What  were  their  names  ? 
How  did  they  become  interested  in  Jesus  ?  How 
may  others  be  interested  today  ? 

Home  work. — Read  in  advance  the  narrative  as 
given  in  John  1:19-51.  After  the  lesson  leam  the 
names  of  the  first  followers. 

§  12.     Jesus  at  a  Wedding  Feast 

Scripture  narrative. — John  2:1-11. 

References  }or  study.— Burton  and  Mathews, 
Life  of  Christ,  pp.  64,  65 ;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times 
of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  iv;  Bird, 
Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  69-71 ;  Geikie, 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK     55 

Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xxix,  first  part; 
Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap.  xi. 

Illustrative  material. — Pictures  of  "  Cana  of  Gali- 
lee" (Wilde  no.  212),  "The  Marriage  at  Cana," 
Tintoretto  (Brown  no.  2074);  "Cana"  (Underwood 
Ster.  no.  3159);  "A  Village  Home"  (Underwood 
Ster.  no.  3196);  "Arrival  of  the  Bride"  (Underwood 
Ster.  no.  3193). 

Explanatory  notes. — This  story  of  Jesus'  partici- 
pation in  the  social  festivities  of  his  friends  and  his 
helpfulness  upon  this  occasion  is  interesting  as  show- 
ing his  attitude  upon  such  matters.  He  was  not  an 
ascetic  like  John.  He  turns  from  the  meditation  in 
the  wilderness  to  mingle  again  with  men.  Two 
points  in  the  narrative  often  occasion  difficulty: 
Jesus'  apparently  curt  and  unfilial  reply  to  his  mother, 
and  the  implied  sanction  of  the  use  of  wine. 

With  reference  to  the  first  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the 
form  of  address  used  by  Jesus,  "Woman,"  is  not  as 
disrespectful  or  as  curt  as  it  might  be  upon  the  lips  of 
an  occidental.  The  same  word  and  form  of  address 
is  used  elsewhere  with  no  thought  of  anything  but 
affection  and  respect;  cf.  John  20:13,  15;  John 
19: 26.  "What  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ?  mine  hour 
is  not  yet  come,"  meaning  that  he  did  not  view  the 
situation  as  she  did.  She  may  have  suggested  some 
striking  display  of  power  as  substantiating  his  mes- 
sianic claims.  The  time  was  not  yet  ripe  for  that. 
This  throws  much  light  upon  the  purpose  of  Jesus' 


56  THELlFEOFjESUS 

acts  of  service.  He  performed  them,  not  as  signs  to 
dazzle  the  populace,  but  as  deeds  of  helpfulness. 

In  regard  to  the  second  point,  there  need  be  no 
difficulty  in  a  frank  admission  that  Jesus  certainly 
did  assent  to  the  use  of  wine  on  this  and  probably  on 
other  occasions.  It  is  quite  unnecessary  and  futile 
to  argue  that  the  wine  on  this  occasion  was  unfer- 
mented.  The  words  do  not  bear  out  the  statement. 
Jesus'  attitude  was  governed  by  the  sentiment  and 
attitude  of  good  men  of  his  day.  But  this  does  not 
in  the  least  blind  the  eyes  of  any  fair-minded  individ- 
ual as  to  the  attitude  which  Jesus  would  take  toward 
the  liquor  question  in  a  land  of  drunkenness  and 
saloons. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — What  we  are  told  of 
Jesus'  manner  on  this  occasion  should  give  the  clue 
to  the  best  use  of  the  story  and  the  lesson  which  it 
teaches.  He  declined  to  make  it  an  occasion  for 
wonder-working,  to  dazzle  the  eyes  of  beholders.  It 
was  an  act  of  social  helpfulness.  Jesus  not  only 
did  not  hold  himself  aloof  from  the  festivities  of  his 
friends;  he  entered  heartily  into  them  and  did  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  contribute  toward  them.  As  a 
result,  his  disciples  believed  the  more  on  him;  but 
this  was  not  his  primary  reason  for  doing  what  he 
did.  His  works  were  done,  not  for  effect,  but  because 
they  were  needed. 

The  class  having  read  the  narrative,  the  story  may 
be  drawn  out  through  questions.  In  the  last  sec- 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK      57 

tion  we  learned  that  Jesus  was  going  into  Galilee. 
To  what  town  was  he  going  ?  (Locate  on  the  map.) 
Why  did  he  go  there  ?  (Describe  an  oriental  wed- 
ding feast;  Geikie  gives  an  account  of  one  in  the 
reference  above.)  What  trouble  arose  at  this  feast  ? 
Did  you  ever  have  company  at  home  and  have  some- 
thing fail  ?  How  did  Mother  feel  about  it  ?  Jesus' 
mother  seems  to  have  known  and  appreciated  the 
distress  of  their  hosts  on  this  occasion.  To  whom  did 
she  turn  for  help  ?  What  was  the  result  ?  What  did 
the  guests  think  of  the  wine  that  was  furnished? 
What  effect  did  this  all  have  on  the  disciples  of  Jesus  ? 
Just  why  did  this  make  the  disciples  feel  more  trust 
in  him  ?  At  least  three  things  might  be  suggested : 
(i)  wonder  at  the  deed;  (2)  the  fact  that  it  was  so 
well  done;  (3)  the  kindly  helpfulness  of  it. 

A  practical  suggestion  growing  out  of  this  lesson 
would  be  that  each  one  of  us,  when  we  attend  any 
social  gathering,  or  as  we  are  playing  among  our 
mates  at  school  or  elsewhere,  should  take  this  same 
attitude  of  entering  heartily  into  the  spirit  of  the 
occasion  and  aiming  to  contribute  as  well  as  gain. 
Under  some  circumstances  this  lesson  might  be  the 
favorable  opportunity  for  the  beginning  of  a  club 
or  society,  which  might  be  called  the  "  Cana  Band/' 
or  a  similar  name,  whose  object  should  be  to  dis- 
cover as  many  ways  as  possible  for  adding  to  the 
happiness  of  other  people  by  sharing  in  and  con- 
tributing to  their  pleasures. 


58  THELlFEOFjESUS 

Home  work.— Read  the  lesson  story  from  John 
2:1-1 1. 

§13.    Rebuking  the  Traders  in  the  Temple 

Scripture  narrative. — John  2 : 13-22 ;  Matt.  21:12- 
17;  Mark  11:15-18;  Luke  19:45-48. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews, 
Life  of  Christ,  pp.  67-69;  Sanday,  Outlines  of  the 
Life  of  Christ,  pp.  47,  48;  Gilbert,  Student's  Life  of 
Jesus,  pp.  159-63;  Rhees,  Life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
pars.  115-18,  pp.  107-10;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  v; 
Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  94-104;  Geikie,  Life  and 
Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xxx,  first  part;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  71-73;  Farrar,  Life 
of  Christ,  chap,  xiii;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ, 
pp.  107-9. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  a  Jewish 
money-changer  is  furnished  with  the  section.  Other 
pictures  are:  "Casting  out  the  Money  Changers," 
Hofmann  (Brown  no.  452,  Perry  no.  707?,  Wilde 
no.  52);  by  Kirchbuck  (Perry  no.  3268,  Wilde  no. 
51).  Jewish,  Palestinian,  or  Roman  coins,  if  avail- 
able. 

Explanatory  notes. — On  the  Passover,  see  §  7  and 
par.  76  in  the  reference  from  Burton  and  Mathews 
above.  These  traders  and  money-changers  were 
doubtless  in  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles  which  sur- 
rounded the  Temple  proper  and  where  gentiles  were 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK      59 


permitted,  though  not  allowed  to  come  further  on 
pain  of  death.  It  was  not  the  traffic  itself,  that 
aroused  Jesus'  indignation;  for  this  was  a  conveni- 
ence and  also  a  necessity  to  many.  The  law  required 


PLAN  OF  THE  TEMPLE 

[From  EDERSHEIM,  The  Temple  at  the  Time  of  Jesus  Christ] 
A,  Royal  Tyropoeon  Bridge;  B  B,  etc.,  Terrace,  or  Chel,  outside  of  which 
tradition  places  a  low  inclosure,  called  the  Soreg;  C  C  C,  South  Side  Gates,  the 
second  on  the  right  hand  being  the  ancient  Water  Gate;  ODD,  North  Side 
Gates;  E  E  E  E,  Money  Chests;  F  F,  Courts  and  Chambers;  G,  Nicanor  Gate; 
H,  fifteen  steps  of  the  Levites;  I,  House  of  Stoves;  J,  Steps  of  the  Priests;  K, 
to  Mount  Zion;  M,  to  Bezetha. 

that  beasts  of  a  certain  kind  should  be  offered,  and 
that  the  temple  tax  should  be  paid  in  a  particular 


60  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

coin,  and  these  were  not  otherwise  easily  obtainable 
by  those  who  came  from  a  distance.  What  he  did 
object  to  was  the  turning  of  a  place  of  worship,  where 
man  ought  to  have  a  chance  to  be  quiet  with  God, 
into  a  place  of  trading,  and  noisy  trading  at  that. 
The  significance  of  this  is  heightened  when  we 
remember  that  this  was  the  only  place  where  many 
of  those  present  could  share  in  the  services  of  wor- 
ship. The  gentiles  were  not  allowed  inside  the 
inner  courts.  So  the  Jews,  by  permitting  such  things 
in  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  were  robbing  them  of 
their  opportunity,  while  they  themselves  might  step 
inside  and  find  quiet.  It  was  a  grossly  selfish  pro- 
ceeding, like  that  of  men  who  in  modern  times  for  the 
sake  of  making  more  money  endanger  human  life. 
More  than  this,  there  seem  to  have  been  many  irregu- 
larities connected  with  this  traffic.  The  country 
people  were  sometimes  taken  advantage  of  by  un- 
scrupulous traders,  and  Edersheim  gives  reason 
to  believe  that  the  priests,  who  must  consent  to  the 
business,  were  influenced  by  their  own  profit  in  it. 

The  priests  were  quick  to  resent  this  act  of  Jesus 
and  demanded  some  sign  of  his  authority.  They  did 
not  seem  to  see  that  the  act  itself  carried  the  note  of 
authority  with  it.  Jesus'  reply  is  puzzling  as  being 
capable  of  a  double  reference.  The  explanation 
given  by  Burton  and  Mathews  seems  the  best  one. 

Suggestions  for  teaching.— The  central  thought  in 
this  incident  is  Jesus'  defense  of  the  right  of  man  to 
worship,  and  to  a  time  and  place  for  worship  undis- 


JESUS  BEGINNING  His  WORK     61 

turbed.  Here  is  a  good  opportunity  briefly  to  review 
what  has  been  learned  of  the  Passover  Feast.  Show 
the  class  a  plan  of  the  Temple  such  as  is  printed  in 
the  Manual  with  this  section,  and  let  them  draw  an 
outline  of  it  in  the  space  provided  in  their  books, 
indicating  the  outer  and  inner  courts.  The  readings 
from  Geikie  or  Dawson  will  help  the  teacher  to  pic- 
ture vividly  the  noisy,  gesticulating  throng,  shouting, 
haggling,  quarreling,  and  possibly  cheating  as  well. 
And  all  this  in  the  Temple,  dedicated  to  the  worship 
of  God.  The  contrast  between  this  condition  and 
what  should  have  been  may  perhaps  be  heightened 
by  reading  a  part  of  Solomon's  prayer  of  dedication 
of  the  Temple  (I  Kings  8:22-53;  especially  vss.  22- 
30  and  41-43).  Here,  then,  were  two  possible 
grounds  for  Jesus'  indignation :  the  intrusion  of  dis- 
turbing traffic  where  men  had  a  right  to  find  an 
atmosphere  of  reverent  worship,  and  the  use  of  the 
sacred  edifice  and  occasion  as  an  opportunity  for 
dishonest  gain.  These  two  things  find  parallels 
today  in  the  actions  of  those  who,  by  irreverent  con- 
duct in  church  or  sacred  meetings,  rob  others  of 
their  right  to  worship  undisturbed;  or  of  those  who 
make  church-membership  or  attendance  a  cloak  for 
dishonorable  transactions.  It  is  human  welfare  for 
which  Jesus  is  jealous,  and  this  disregard  of  it  that 
makes  him  indignant. 

Home  work. — Read  in  advance  the  lesson  story 
as  given  in  John  2:13-17  and  Luke  19:45-48. 
After  the  lesson  review  the  events  studied  in  chap.  iii. 


CHAPTER  IV 

JESUS  ORGANIZING  HIS  WORK 
§  14.     Calling  Disciples 

Scripture  narrative. — (a)  The  call  of  the  four: 
Mark  1:14-20;  Matt.  4:12-22;  Luke  5:1-11; 
(6)  the  call  of  Matthew:  Mark  2:13-17;  Matt. 
9:9-13;  Luke  5  =  27-32. 

References  for  study. — (a)  The  call  of  the  four: 
Burton  and  Mathews,  Life  of  Christ,  pars.  91-95, 
98-100,  pp.  80,  81,  83,  84;  Sanday,  Outlines  of  the 
Life  of  Christ,  sees.  14,  17,  18,  pp.  45,  46,  51-54; 
Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Book  III,  chap,  xiii;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of 
Christ,  chap,  xxxii,  last  part;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ, 
chap,  xvii;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth, 
pp.  84-86;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  132-44. 
(ft)  The  call  of  Matthew;  Burton  and  Mathews, 
Life  of  Christ,  par.  108,  p.  88;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  xvii; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xxxiv; 
Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xvii;  Bird,  Jesus  the 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  92-97 ;  also  the  references 
to  Dawson  and  Sanday  above. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  boats  on  the 
Sea  of  Galilee  is  furnished  with  the  section.  While 
these  are  modern  boats,  they  are  undoubtedly  the 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    63 

same  in  appearance  as  those  used  in  the  time  of 
Jesus.  Other  pictures  are  Hofmann's  "Jesus 
Preaching  from  the  Boat"  (Brown  no.  808,  Wilde 
no.  76);  Raphael's  "Draught  of  Fishes"  (Brown 
no.  1585,  Perry  no.  338,  Wilde  no.  49);  "Scenes  on 
the  Sea  of  Galilee"  (Underwood  Ster.  no.  3163, 
3164,  and  32 1 5). 

Explanatory  notes. — When  Jesus  heard  of  the 
arrest  and  imprisonment  of  John,  he  at  once  entered 
upon  a  more  aggressive  public  ministry,  although 
by  so  doing  he  courted  a  similar  fate.  There  is  a 
suggestion  of  a  fine  consideration  for  the  standing 
and  influence  of  John  in  the  delay  of  this  definite 
public  ministry  until  such  time  as  should  not  interfere 
with  the  work  of  the  brave  prophet  who  had  blazed 
the  way  for  him. 

Jesus  turned  naturally  to  Galilee  as  the  scene  of 
his  ministry.  It  was  his  boyhood  home,  and  the 
people  there  were  more  liberal  and  more  likely  to 
listen  to  the  preaching  of  a  rabbi  unaccredited  from 
the  schools  than  they  of  Judea. 

In  §  ii  we  studied  John's  account  of  how  Jesus 
gained  his  first  followers;  this  explains  the  apparent 
abruptness  of  the  call  as  narrated  in  this  section. 
When  Jesus  first  went  to  Galilee,  these  early  followers 
seem  to  have  gone  back  to  their  ordinary  duties,  but 
not  to  forget  him.  They  must  have  thought  and 
talked  much  of  the  ideals  of  the  new  rabbi,  and  when 


64  THELlFEOFjESUS 

he  entered  upon  his  public  ministry,  they  were  ready, 
and  others  with  them,  to  respond  to  his  call. 

The  two  accounts  of  the  call  of  the  four  as  given 
by  Mark  and  Luke  are  not  necessarily  contradictory. 
Luke  gives  details  which  he  has  evidently  gained  from 
some  other  source,  and  which  are  in  addition  to  those 
narrated  by  Mark.  This  is  quite  in  keeping  with 
Luke's  more  careful  historical  method,  as  Mark's 
account  is  in  keeping  with  his  custom  of  telling  briefly 
and  vividly  the  striking  points  in  Jesus'  ministry. 

In  the  call  of  Matthew,  or  Levi,  Jesus  deliberately 
violated  Jewish  precedent  and  prejudice.  Matthew 
was  a  publican  or  tax-gatherer. 

A  large  portion  of  the  income  of  Herod  Antipas  must  have 
come  from  customs.  The  privilege  of  collecting  these  customs 
was  sold  to  contractors,  who  in  turn  sold  to  different  persons 
the  right  to  collect  them  in  specific  places.  As  the  men  who 
actually  did  the  collecting  kept  all  in  excess  of  what  they  paid 
for  the  contract,  they  were  certain  to  be  extortionate.  This 
fact,  as  well  as  that  they  represented  an  obnoxious  govern- 
ment, made  the  publicans  despised  and  hated.  (Burton  and 
Mathews,  Life  0}  Christ.) 

This  fact  makes  the  more  noteworthy  Matthew's 
willingness  to  leave  a  lucrative  business  and  follow 
one  who  represented  the  people  that  hated  him. 
The  action  of  Jesus  at  once  provoked  criticism  and 
bitter  comment  on  the  part  of  the  Jews.  Jesus' 
reply  shows  his  own  freedom  from  prejudice  and 
spirit  of  ministry. 

Suggestions  for  teaching.— The  object  in  teaching 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    65 

this  section  should  be,  first,  to  acquaint  the  pupil 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  story  and  the  names  of 
these  disciples;  second,  to  bring  out  the  spirit  of 
devotion  to  a  higher  call  which  led  these  men  to  leave 
their  work,  in  which  they  were  settled,  and  venture 
upon  a  new  life  in  the  service  of  a  wandering  rabbi 
because  they  were  convinced  that  he  was  right. 

The  lesson  may  be  introduced  by  calling  for  the 
names  of  the  first  followers  of  Jesus,  referring  to  §  1 1 
if  the  pupil  does  not  remember.  Where  did  these 
disciples  go  with  Jesus  ?  (§  12).  Jesus  then  seems  to 
have  gone  home  for  a  time  to  Nazareth,  while  his 
disciples  went  back  to  their  various  occupations. 
Where  did  Andrew  and  Peter  live?  (John  1:44). 
To  what  city  did  Jesus  come  after  leaving  Nazareth  ? 
(Matt.  4:13).  How  far  was  this  from  Bethsaida  ? 
(see  map).  Thus  far  Jesus  had  not  begun  any  formal 
ministry.  He  had  preached  and  taught  where  he 
found  need,  but  he  had  not  attempted  to  gather  dis- 
ciples about  him  and  keep  them  by  him.  Perhaps 
he  did  not  wish  to  start  up  a  work  that  might  inter- 
fere with  that  of  John  the  Baptist,  whom  he  admired 
so  much  and  to  whom  he  had  gone  to  be  baptized. 
Perhaps  he  felt  that  he  himself  was  not  ready  for  it. 
But  about  this  time  John  was  arrested  and  imprisoned 
by  King  Herod  Antipas  because  he  had  dared  to 
reprove  the  king  for  his  wrong-doing.  At  once 
Jesus  appeared  to  take  up  the  work.  He  began  to 
preach  down  by  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  where 


66  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

there  were  many  people  to  hear  him.  They  crowded 
about  him  so  that  he  could  hardly  find  a  place  to 
stand  where  all  might  hear. 

Continue  the  story  with  the  incident  narrated  by 
Luke,  which  offers  a  very  natural  explanation  of  just 
how  he  came  to  call  these  four  men  at  this  time. 
Call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  performance  of  one 
very  simple  act  of  service  for  Jesus  led  to  the  call  for 
a  much  greater  life-work.  Bring  out  the  fact  that 
two  of  these  men  had  been  among  the  first  followers, 
and  were  therefore  quite  ready  to  know  whether  or 
no  they  ought  to  trust  Jesus. 

Tell  the  story  of  the  calling  of  Matthew,  explaining 
that  it  was  not  at  the  same  time,  but  a  little  later,  and 
is  simply  included  in  this  section  as  it  illustrates  the 
same  willingness  to  leave  all  and  follow  Jesus.  Tell 
somethingof  thedutiesof  a  publican  and  how  they  were 
regarded  in  the  community,  as  explaining  the  reason 
for  the  criticism  aroused  by  Jesus'  action  in  this  case. 

Possibly  the  spiritual  meaning  of  this  section  can 
be  brought  out  in  no  way  more  clearly  than  by  having 
the  pupils  learn  the  hymn  printed  in  their  books, 
"Jesus  Calls  Us."  It  expresses  just  the  feeling 
which  moved  these  men.  They  wanted  to  be  near 
tc  one  whom  they  felt  could  help  them  live  better 
lives,  and  they  were  willing  to  leave  everything  at  his 
call.  If  the  pupils  can  be  taught  this  hymn,  and  be 
led  to  recognize  it  as  a  prayer  and  sing  it  as  such,  it 
will  be  of  great  value  to  them. 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    67 

Home  "work. — Read  in  advance  in  Matt.  4:12, 13; 
Luke  5:1-11;  and  Mark  2:13-17,  with  Matt.  9:9. 
After  the  lesson,  learn  the  names  of  the  first  five 
disciples  and  the  hymn  "  Jesus  Calls  Us." 

§  15.     A  Sabbath  Day  in  Capernaum 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  1:21-34  with  Luke 
4:31-41. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pars.  101, 102,  pp.  84,  85 ;  Sanday,  Outlines 
of  the  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  57-63 ;  Rhees,  Life  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  pp.  118-26;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  xiv,  also 
chap,  x  for  description  of  the  synagogue  and  its  serv- 
ice; Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  145-57;  Geikie, 
Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xxxiii;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  86-88 ;  Farrar,  Life  of 
Christ,  chap,  xvii;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ, 
chap.  vi. 

Illustrative  material. — The  picture  "  Come  Unto 
Me"  by  Makovsky  is  furnished  with  this  section 
and  gives  a  realistic  conception  of  the  scene  as  Jesus 
was  surrounded  by  the  sick  and  ailing.  Other  pic- 
tures that  may  be  useful  are  :  "  Capernaum  and  the 
Sea  of  Galilee"  (Wilde  no.  213);  "Healing  the 
Sick,"  Hofmann  (Brown  no.  1275,  Perry  no.  797M, 
Wilde,  no.  70);  "Healing  the  Sick  Child,"  Gabriel 
Max  (Wilde  no.  71);  "Capernaum"  (Underwood 
Ster.  no.  3166). 


68  THELlFEOFjESUS 

Explanatory  notes. — The  reference  in  Dawson, 
given  above,  contains  a  very  sympathetic  interpre- 
tation of  the  events  of  this  day  in  the  life  of  Jesus. 
Edersheim  gives  a  good  account  of  the  synagogue 
and  its  service.  The  effect  of  Jesus'  teaching  was 
produced  by  the  fact  that,  while  the  Pharisees  and 
rabbis  were  in  the  habit  of  discussing  things  with 
endless  casuistical  arguments  and  quotations  from 
authorities,  Jesus  spoke  straight  to  the  heart  and 
conscience  of  his  hearers,  putting  things  so  simply 
and  clearly  that  they  could  not  help  seeing  the  truth 
and  feeling  its  power. 

The  first  incident  is  that  of  the  healing  of  the 
demoniac  man  in  the  synagogue.  These  seem  to 
have  been  cases  of  a  peculiar  type  of  insanity,  in 
which  not  only  other  people,  but  those  afflicted, 
thought  they  were  possessed  of  evil  spirits.  Jesus' 
method  of  dealing  with  the  man  would  be  the  best 
calculated  to  soothe  him  and  take  advantage  of  his 
delusion  for  his  good. 

The  visit  to  the  house  of  Simon  and  the  healing  of 
his  mother-in-law  followed  naturally  as  they  left  the 
synagogue  service,  and  we  may  well  imagine  a  pleas- 
ant, restful  sabbath  afternoon,  spent  in  conversation 
about  the  things  that  were  most  worth  while,  the 
pleasure  of  it  heightened  by  the  restoration  of  the 
invalid. 

It  was  quite  natural  too  that,  after  the  report  that 
had  gone  forth  from  the  synagogue  in  the  morning, 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    69 

and  no  doubt  also  from  the  house  of  Simon  later, 
the  people  of  the  city  should  throng  about  him  at 
evening,  seeking  like  blessing  for  themselves  and 
their  friends.  Jesus'  refusal  to  let  the  demonized 
ones  speak  was  due  to  an  unwillingness  to  accept 
testimony  from  such  a  source,  and  also  to  the  desire 
to  keep  his  own  personality  in  the  background  until 
later  in  his  ministry.  The  people  needed  to  be 
educated  to  a  better  idea  of  the  messianic  kingdom 
before  they  were  ready  to  hear  his  messianic  claims. 
Suggestions  for  teaching. — Here  again  we  should 
follow  the  clue  given  by  Jesus  himself  as  to  the  lesson 
to  be  derived  from  these  incidents.  It  was  not  to 
establish  his  own  personal  claims  or  prove  his  power 
that  he  worked  thus ;  else  we  should  expect  him  to  take 
more  advantage  of  every  detail  that  might  increase 
the  effect.  It  was  because  service  was  needed,  and 
he  met  the  need  in  tenderest  sympathy  and  love. 
This  is  a  good  section  to  treat  in  story  form,  the 
teacher  telling  the  story  of  the  entire  day,  after  care- 
ful study  and  reading;  then  letting  the  class  fill  out 
the  blanks  in  their  skeleton  story,  and  questioning 
them  upon  it.  Try  to  picture  as  vividly  as  possible 
the  scene  in  the  synagogue ;  the  listening  people ;  their 
looks  and  words  as  they  heard  his  simple,  straight- 
forward speech;  the  commotion  produced  by  the 
demoniac;  Jesus'  quiet  treatment  of  him;  and  the 
still  greater  amazement  of  the  people,  who  had  never 
seen  such  cures  before.  Then  describe  the  walk 


70  THELlFEOFjESUS 

from  the  synagogue  to  Simon's  house,  where  Jesus 
had  been  invited  to  stay;  the  change  in  the  home 
from  one  of  anxiety  and  quiet  to  one  of  joy  over  the 
sudden  cure  of  the  wife  and  mother.  Imagine  the 
afternoon  spent  in  conversation  and  home  pleasures ; 
then  the  coming,  first  of  one,  then  of  another,  then  of 
more  from  different  parts  of  the  city,  until  the  doors 
are  besieged  by  the  crowd  of  those  seeking  help.  We 
may  think  of  Jesus  standing  before  the  door,  having 
gone  out  at  the  first  call  for  help,  and  ministering  to 
all  who  come.  Let  the  pupils  tell  what  they  think 
of  the  feeling  that  must  have  pervaded  that  town  by 
nightfall.  Note  that  God  brings  cheer  and  comfort 
to  homes  where  sickness  is  today.  Faith  in  him  is  a 
great  help  both  to  those  who  are  ill  and  their  friends 
as  well. 

Home  work. — Read  in  advance  the  lesson  story 
from  Mark  1:21-34.  Learn  the  hymn  given  in  the 
Pupil's  Note  Book,  "At  Even  When  the  Sun  Was 
Set." 

§16.     Doing  Good  on  the  Sabbath 

Scripture  narrative. — (a)  John  5:1-18;  (b)  Matt. 
12:1-8;  (c)  Matt.  12:9-14;  Mark3:i-6. 

References  }or  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pars.  110-16,  pp.  89-94;  Edersheim, 
Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III, 
chaps,  xiii,  xxxv;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ, 
chap,  xxxviii ;  Da wson,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  v ;  Bird, 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    71 

Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  102-10;  Farrar, 
Life  oj  Christ,  chaps,  xxviii,  xxxi ;  Delitzsch,  A  Day 
in  Capernaum. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  the  Pool  of 
Bethesda  is  furnished  with  the  section.  Other  pic- 
tures are:  "The  Healing  of  the  Impotent  Man," 
Bida  (Wilde  no.  60) ;  "  Going  through  the  Field  of 
Grain,"  Dor£  (Brown  no.  344,  Wilde  no.  63). 

Explanatory  notes. — (a)  John  5:1-18:  It  is  not 
certain  which  of  the  Jewish  feasts  is  here  referred  to. 
The  pool  was  evidently  fed  by  an  intermittent  spring, 
and  people  had  come  to  attribute  healing  powers  to 
its  periodic  flow.  The  explanation  of  this  healing 
power  given  in  vs.  4  is  not  found  in  the  earliest  manu- 
scripts and  is  omitted  from  the  Revised  Version. 
By  carrying  his  bed  the  man  transgressed  one  of  the 
pharisaic  laws  against  carrying  a  burden  on  the  sab- 
bath. But  it  seemed  a  sufficient  excuse  to  him  that 
it  had  been  connected  with  his  wonderful  healing. 
Evidently  he  did  not  know  who  it  was  that  had 
healed  him  until  after  meeting  him  again.  We  can 
hardly  suppose  that  his  report  to  the  Pharisees  was 
for  the  purpose  of  giving  information  that  would 
direct  their  hostility  against  his  benefactor,  though  it 
had  that  result.  It  probably  was  an  added  justifi- 
cation in  the  man's  eyes  of  his  violation  of  the  sabbath 
law  that  Jesus  had  instructed  him.  The  reply  of 
Jesus  to  the  criticism  of  the  Jews  has  this  meaning, 
that  even  as  God  does  not  interrupt  his  work  on 


72  THELlFEOFjESUS 

behalf  of  the  welfare  of  men,  so  activity  of  this  kind 
is  not  wrong,  even  upon  the  sabbath.  It  was  another 
case  of  penetrating  to  the  spirit  of  their  institutions 
instead  of  regarding  them  superficially. 

(6)  Matt.  12:1-8:  The  "corn-fields"  is  better 
read  grain-fields,  probably  wheat.  This  plucking 
the  grain  was  a  triple  infraction  of  the  sabbath  law, 
as  the  Pharisees  interpreted  it,  in  that  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  had  reaped,  threshed,  and  winnowed  the 
grain.  The  rabbis  even  held  that  one  must  not  walk 
on  the  grass  on  the  sabbath  in  seed  time,  for  fear  they 
might  knock  the  seeds  out  of  their  husks  and  thus 
be  guilty  of  threshing.  Jesus'  reply  takes  them  upon 
their  own  ground,  referring  to  the  action  of  one  whom 
they  revered  and  who  yet  violated  one  of  their  cere- 
monial laws  (I  Sam.  21: iff.).  The  point  is  that 
any  genuine  need  of  man  is  superior  to  the  cere- 
monial law.  And  if  that  were  so  with  reference  to  a 
man  like  David  and  concerning  a  law  of  the  temple, 
it  was  certainly  true  with  reference  to  himself  whose 
life  principle  was  the  service  of  men. 

(c)  Matt.  12:9-14;  Mark  3:1-6:  The  scene  is  a 
dramatic  one  and  will  repay  careful  thought  to 
bring  out  its  contrasts  and  details.  In  the  two 
accounts  we  have  two  different  points  brought  out. 
Matthew  tells  how  Jesus  convicts  the  Pharisees  of 
insincerity  by  putting  to  them  a  question  as  to  their 
own  practice  which  they  could  not  evade  and  which 
left  them  without  any  argument.  Mark  mentions  a 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    73 

question  which  Jesus  also  asked,  and  which  empha- 
sizes the  immorality  of  their  false  position:  "  Is  it 
lawful  to  do  good  or  to  do  harm  ?"  The  inference 
is  that  to  leave  the  good  undone  is  to  do  harm.  Thus 
it  was  not  a  choice  between  doing  good  or  not  doing 
it,  but  between  good  and  ill.  This  incident  brings 
out  even  more  markedly  than  the  others  the  narrow, 
selfish  view  of  the  Pharisees.  The  incident  must 
also  have  placed  them  in  a  very  poor  light  before  the 
people  and  naturally  aroused  bitter  hatred.  This  is 
indicated  by  the  statement  in  Mark  3:6  that  the 
Pharisees  counseled  with  the  Herodians  how  they 
might  destroy  Jesus.  Ordinarily  the  Pharisees  and 
the  Herodians  were  bitter  enemies,  and  only  a  great 
common  fear  or  hatred  could  have  brought  them 
together. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  point  of  these  three 
incidents  is  to  illustrate  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the 
sabbath  day.  The  teacher  should  read  enough  of 
the  pharisaic  mode  of  observance  to  be  able  to  give 
its  spirit  of  extreme  formalism  and  avoid  any  mis- 
conceptions. Jesus  was  not  violating  any  reasonable 
principle  for  the  observance  of  the  sabbath,  but  only 
a  narrow,  ceremonial  law  which  placed  an  institution 
above  human  needs.  Some  variety  in  the  treatment 
of  this  section  may  be  secured  by  assigning  each  of 
the  three  stories  to  different  groups  in  the  class  and 
having  them  told  orally  at  the  beginning  of  the  session. 
Bring  out  by  questions  and  explanation  the  salient 


74  THELlFEOFjESUS 

points  in  each  as  called  for  in  the  Note  Book — the 
incident,  the  ground  for  criticism,  and  the  defense. 
In  the  first  story  we  have  the  healing  of  the  man  at 
the  pool,  criticized  because  it  involved  a  violation  of 
the  law  against  carrying  a  burden  on  the  sabbath,  and 
defended  on  the  ground  that  God  himself  set  the 
example  of  beneficent  activity.  In  the  second 
instance  Jesus  and  his  disciples  pick  and  eat  grain — 
an  act  which  is  criticized  on  the  ground  of  a  three- 
fold violation  of  the  sabbath  law  against  reaping, 
threshing,  and  winnowing;  the  defense  is  based  upon 
superiority  of  any  real  need  of  man  to  any  cere- 
monial law,  illustrated  by  the  actions  of  one  whom 
the  Jews  revered.  The  third  tells  of  the  healing  of 
a  man  in  the  synagogue,  which  was  a  transgression 
of  the  law  that  forbade  healing  on  the  sabbath  except 
to  save  life.  The  defense  in  this  case  at  once  con- 
victed the  Jews  of  insincerity  in  their  criticism,  and 
justified  the  act  on  the  ground  that  it  was  a  choice 
between  doing  good  or  doing  harm,  of  which  of 
course  the  former  was  to  be  chosen. 

After  developing  the  lesson  in  this  way,  let  the 
class  express  themselves  freely  on  the  question  of 
what  things  are  right  and  what  things  are  wrong  on 
the  sabbath.  This  will  be  the  best  test  of  their 
appreciation  of  what  has  just  been  studied.  Do  not 
let  them  fail  to  see  the  high  value  that  Jesus  puts  on 
human  welfare,  and  that  it  is  for  this  that  he  sets 
aside  the  letter  of  the  law.  Perhaps  they  can  also 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    75 

see  that  it  is  this  same  principle  that  preserves  the 
sabbath. 

Home  work. — Read  in  advance  the  three  stories  in 
(a)  John  5:1-18;  (6)  Matt.  12:1-8;  (c)  Matt.  12:9- 
14;  Mark  3:1-6.  Be  able  to  tell  all  of  these  stories 
from  memory.  Try  to  imagine  the  scene  described 
until  you  can  see  the  people  that  were  present. 
Learn  Matt.  12:12,  last  clause. 

§  17.     Choosing  Apostles 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  3:7-19;  Luke  6 : 12-19. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  97,  98;  Sanday,  Outlines  of  the  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  51-55;  Gilbert,  Students'  Life  of 
Jesus,  pp.  206-11;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  132- 
44;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Book  III,  chap,  xvii;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of 
Christ,  chap,  xxxv;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of 
Nazareth,  pp.  92-97;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap, 
xviii. 

Illustrative  material. — Da  Vinci's  picture  of  the 
Last  Supper,  although  illustrating  another  incident, 
is  used  here  as  a  help  in  making  the  pupil  acquainted 
with  the  twelve  apostles  (see  "  Suggestions  for  Teach- 
ing"). The  picture  is  published  by  Brown  no.  169, 
Perry  no.  280,  Wilde  no.  131. 

Explanatory  notes. — Mark  3:7-12  indicates  the 
growth  of  Jesus'  work  and  his  widespread  popularity. 
Note  that  he  had  a  company  of  disciples,  including 


76  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

those  of  whose  call  we  have  already  learned  (Mark 
1:16-20,  2:14),  and  undoubtedly  many  others  as 
well.  Out  of  these  Jesus  appointed  his  apostles. 
The  places  named  include  all  Palestine  and  imme- 
diate vicinity  (except  Samaria).  Luke  6:17-19 
evidently  refers  to  the  same  events,  although  placed 
after  the  call  of  the  apostles.  In  the  Harmony 
these  verses  are  put  in  their  proper  place. 

Mark  3:13-19  and  Luke  6:12-16  give  the  names 
of  the  Twelve  and  the  circumstances  of  their  appoint- 
ment. Luke  adds  a  detail  which  emphasizes  Jesus' 
own  estimate  of  the  importance  of  this  act;  he  spent 
the  night  in  solitary  prayer.  Mark  alone  contains 
an  important  item,  the  purpose  of  the  appointment : 
"that  they  might  be  with  him  and  that  he  might 
send  them  forth  to  preach."  Fellowship  and  serv- 
ice; "  abide  with  me,"  "  go,  teach  " — these  are  the 
essentials  of  effective  and  fruitful  discipleship. 

Compare  the  list  (of  names)  in  Matt.  10: 2-4;  Luke  6:12- 
19;  and  Acts  1:13.  Observe  that  the  names  in  each  list  fall 
into  three  groups  of  four  each;  these  groups  are  the  same  in  all 
the  lists  and  stand  in  the  same  order;  only  the  order  within 
the  group  varies.  The  four  fishermen  always  constitute  the 
first  group,  Peter  always  leading.  The  second  group  begins 
with  Philip,  the  third  with  James.  (Burton  and  Mathews.) 

Note  also  that  Judas,  the  son  of  James  is  called 
Thaddaeus  by  Matthew.  He  was  also  called  Jude. 
Bartholomew  is  generally  identified  with  Nathanael 
(see  Hastings,  Bible  Dictionary,  article  "Bartholo- 
mew"). 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His   WORK    77 

Suggestions  for  teaching.  —  This  section  may 
profitably  be  devoted  to  the  purpose  of  making  the 
pupil  acquainted  with  these  twelve  heroes  of  Jesus' 
earthly  ministry,  learning  their  names  and  as  much 
as  possible  about  them.  First  read  over  the  verses 
Mark  3:7-12,  looking  up  all  the  places  on  the  map 
that  the  pupil  may  gain  some  idea  of  how  Jesus' 
work  was  spreading  and  how  many  were  coming  to 
him.  There  were  undoubtedly  a  great  many  who 
called  themselves  his  disciples,  but  only  twelve 
seemed  ready  for  leading  responsibility.  Let  the 
pupil  turn  to  Luke  6:12-19  and  make  a  list  of  the 
names,  in  the  order  there  given,  in  the  column  pro- 
vided in  the  Note  Book.  Wider  spaces  are  left  for 
Matthew  and  Judas  son  of  James,  that  their  other 
names,  as  given  in  Mark  2:14  and  Matt.  10:3,  may 
be  added.  Add  also  the  name  of  Nathanael  in  the 
space  with  Bartholomew.  Full  information  as  to 
the  items  of  residence,  occupation,  and  character 
cannot  be  obtained,  but  the  following  references 
will  give  what  is  known.  Tradition  supplies  many 
other  details,  but  it  is  better  with  children  to  limit 
ourselves  to  what  is  more  definitely  known.  The 
residences  of  the  various  disciples  may  be  learned 
as  follows:  Peter,  Andrew,  and  Philip,  John  1:44; 
James  and  John,  Mark  1:19;  Bartholomew,  or 
Nathanael,  John  21:2;  Matthew,  Mark  2:1,  14;  if 
James  son  of  Alphaeus  was  Matthew's  brother,  he 
probably  lived  in  the  same  town;  Simon  the  Zealot 


78  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

was  probably  a  Galilean,  as  the  Zealots  were  usually 
from  Galilee. 

The  occupation  of  the  first  four  is  given  in  Mark 
1:16-19;  Nathanael  and  Thomas  perhaps  indicated 
by  John  21:2,3;  Matthew,  Matt.  9 : 9. 

The  character  of  S9me  of  the  disciples  may  be 
inferred  from  the  following  references :  Peter,  Matt. 
16:13-18;  John  13:6-9;  Matt.  26:31-35,  69-75; 
James  and  John,  Mark  3: 17;  1^69:51-56;  Barthol- 
omew, John  i  :47;  Matthew,  Mark  2: 14,  judge  from 
promptness  of  obedience;  Philip,  John  1:43-46; 
Thomas,  John  20:24,  25;  Simon  the  Zealot  to  be 
one  of  this  sect  must  have  been  fiery,  enthusiastic 
almost  to  fanaticism. 

After  this  study  of  the  men  who  made  up  this 
group,  let  the  pupil  paste  in  the  picture  of  Da  Vinci's 
"Last  Supper"  and,  with  the  aid  of  the  description 
given  by  Mrs.  Jamieson,  identify  the  various  figures 
by  writing  underneath  each,  in  the  spaces  provided 
below  the  picture,  the  corresponding  number  from 
the  list  given  below.  E.  g.,  at  the  extreme  left  is 
Bartholomew,  no.  7  in  Luke's  list,  next  is  James,  son 
of  Alphaeus,  no.  9,  etc. 

Mrs.  Jamieson's  description  is  as  follows: 

The  moment  selected  is  the  utterance  of  the  words,  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you  that  one  of  you  shall  betray  me;"  or 
rather,  the  words  have  just  been  uttered  and  the  picture 
expresses  their  effect  on  the  different  auditors.  .  .  .  ; 

Next  to  Christ  is  St.  John:  he  has  just  been  addressed  by 
Peter  who  beckons  to  him  that  he  should  ask  "of  whom  the 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    79 

Lord  spake":  his  disconsolate  attitude,  as  he  has  raised  him- 
self to  reply,  and  leans  his  clasped  hands  on  the  table,  the 
almost  feminine  sweetness  of  his  countenance,  express  the 
character  of  this  gentle  and  amiable  apostle.  Peter,  leaning 
from  behind,  is  all  fire  and  energy;  Judas,  who  knows  full  well 
of  whom  the  Saviour  spake,  starts  back  amazed,  oversetting  the 
salt;  his  fingers  clutch  the  bag,  of  which  he  has  the  charge,  his 
face  is  seen  in  profile  and  cast  into  shadow,  without  being 
vulgar,  or  even  ugly,  it  is  hateful.  St.  Andrew,  with  his  long 
grey  beard,  lifts  up  his  hands,  expressing  the  wonder  of  a 
simple  hearted  old  man.  St.  James  Minor,  resembling  the 
Saviour  in  his  mild  features,  and  the  form  of  his  beard  and  hair, 
lays  his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  St.  Peter:  the  expression  is, 
"  Can  it  be  possible  ?  Have  we  heard  aright  ?  "  Bartholomew 
at  the  extreme  end  of  the  table,  has  risen,  perturbed,  from  his 
seat:  he  leans  forward  with  a  look  of  eager  attention,  the  lips 

parted:   he  is  impatient  to  hear  more On  the  left  of 

our  Saviour  is  St.  James  Major;  who  has  also  a  family  resem- 
blance to  Christ:  his  arms  are  outstretched,  he  shrinks  back, 

he  repels  the  thought  with  horror St.  Thomas  is  behind 

St.  James,  rather  young,  with  a  short  beard:  he  holds  up  his 
hand,  threatening— "if  there  be  indeed  such  a  wretch,  let  him 
look  to  it."  Philip,  young  and  with  a  beautiful  head,  lays  his 
hand  on  his  heart:  he  protests  his  love,  his  truth.  Matthew, 
also  beardless,  has  more  elegance,  as  one  who  belonged  to  a 
more  educated  class  than  the  rest:  he  turns  to  Jude  and  points 
to  our  Saviour,  as  if  about  to  repeat  his  words,  "Do  you  hear 
what  he  says  ? "  Simon  and  Jude  sit  together  (Leonardo  has 
followed  the  tradition  which  makes  them  old  and  brothers): 
Jude  expresses  consternation:  Simon,  with  his  hands  stretched 
out,  a  painful  anxiety. 

The  verse  given  at  the  end  of  this  section  in  the 
Pupil's  Note  Book  is  often  helpful  in  remembering 


8o  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

the  names  of  the  apostles  and  may  be  learned  in 
connection  with  the  study. 

§  1 8.     The  Sermon  on  the  Mount 

Scripture  narrative. — Matt.,  chaps.  5-7. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  99-106;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times 
of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  xviii ;  Geikie, 
Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chaps,  xxxv  last  part, 
xxxvi,  and  xxxvii;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of 
Nazareth,  pp.  98-102;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap, 
xviii;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  161-75. 

Illustrative  material. — Three  views  of  the  tradi- 
tional Mount  of  the  Beatitudes  (Underwood  Ster. 
nos.  3165, 3202,  3356) ;  another  view  (Wilde  no.  317); 
Dor6  has  the  best  picture  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
for  the  reason  that  it  is  true  to  details  as  given  in  the 
text  (Brown  no.  391,  Wilde  no.  65). 

Explanatory  notes. — In  this  section  Matthew  has 
undoubtedly  brought  together  into  the  form  of  a 
single  discourse  various  sayings  of  Jesus  delivered 
at  different  times,  but  all  having  a  relation  to  each 
other  and  thus  possible  of  combination  into  this  form. 
That  the  basis  of  this  discourse  was  uttered  on  occa- 
sion of  the  choice  of  the  Twelve,  as  Luke  indicates,  is 
not  improbable.  The  discourse  as  presented  by  Mat- 
thew has  a  clearly  marked  plan,  which  will  be  made 
more  apparent  by  the  study  of  the  following  analy- 
sis, which  is  essentially  that  given  by  Burton  and 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    81 

Mathews.  The  object  of  the  sermon  is  to  set  forth 
Jesus'  ideals  for  the  character  of  the  citizens,  the  laws, 
and  the  spirit  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

I.  The  citizens  of  the  kingdom  (the  disciples  of 
Christ)  described  according  to  his  ideal  of  their 
character.  5:3-!6 

1.  The  moral  character  which  Jesus  desired  in 

those  of  whom  he  would  build  his  kingdom.         3-12 

2.  Their  office  in  the  world.  13-16 
II.   The  permanence  of  the  Law,  Jesus'  attitude 

toward  it  and  the  High  Standard  of  Righteous- 
ness in  the  Kingdom.  5 : 1 7-20 

III.  The  Righteousness  that  is  required  in  the  new 
Kingdom  in  contrast  with  the  prevalent  teach- 
ing of  the  Synagogue.     Evil  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings, and  all  degrees  of  sin   condemned,  in 
contrast  with  the  literalism  of  the  Synagogue, 
which  condemned  only  the  deeds  specifically 
prohibited  by  the  law.  5:21-48 
i.  In  respect  to  murder.  21-26 
a.  In  respect  to  adultery.  27-30 

3.  In  respect  to  divorce.  3I-32 

4.  In  respect  to  oaths.  33~37 

5.  In  respect  to  retaliation  and  resistance.  38-42 

6.  In  respect  to  love  of  others.  43~47 

7.  The  all-inclusive  precept  of  righteousness.  48 

IV.  The  Righteousness  required  in  the  New  King- 
dom in  contrast  with  the  ostentatious  and  hypo- 
critical conduct  of  the  men  of  that  day.    All 
things  to  be  done  for  the  approval,  not  of  men, 

but  of  God.  6:1-18 

1.  General  injunction  to  avoid  ostentation.  i 

2.  Applied  to  almsgiving.  2-4 


82  THELlFEOFjESUS 

3.  Applied  to  prayer.  5-15 

4.  Applied  to  fasting.  16-18 
V.   Single-eyed  Service  of  God  and  Simple  Trust 

in  Him  enjoined.  6: 19-34 

VI.  Judgment  of  others  forbidden.  7:1-6 

VII.  Confidence  in  God's  willingness  to  bless  en- 
joined. 7:7-11 
VIII.  The  Golden  Rule,  an  all-inclusive  principle  of 

conduct  toward  others.  7:12 

DC.  The  Practice  of  Righteousness,  not  Profession 

or  Hearing  only,  enjoined.  7 : 13-2  7 

i.  Diligence  to  enter  on  the  right  way.  13,  14 

a.  Warning  against  false  prophets.  15-20 

3.  Warning  against  self-deception  and  confi- 
dence in  mere  profession.  21-27 

For  detailed  comment  on  the  sermon  see  Burton 
and  Mathews,  pp.  100-5.  The  prevailing  note  is 
that  of  discernment  and  obedience  to  the  spirit  of 
the  law  rather  than  the  letter.  This  necessarily 
involved  a  contrast  with  the  current  teaching  of  the 
Pharisees  and  scribes,  which  at  the  same  time 
attracted  the  common  people  and  aroused  the  hos- 
tility of  their  leaders. 

Suggestions  jor  teaching. — The  object  of  this  section 
should  be  to  emphasize  the  difference  between  Jesus' 
teaching  and  that  of  the  old  rabbis — a  real,  hearty, 
sincere  righteousness  as  opposed  to  a  formal  observ- 
ance of  the  letter  of  the  law  only;  also  to  bring  out 
by  way  of  illustration,  some  of  the  specific  teachings 
that  are  particularly  applicable  to  boyhood  and 
girlhood. 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    83 

In  this  case  it  will  be  well  to  assign  as  memory 
work,  in  advance,  the  Beatitudes,  if  the  pupil  does 
not  already  know  them.  This  will  give  a  better 
basis  for  class  discussion  of  the  section.  As  there  is 
far  more  material  in  the  entire  section  than  can  be 
covered  in  a  single  lesson,  or  several,  it  may  be  better 
to  center  the  thought  of  the  class  upon  these  Beati- 
tudes. Moreover,  a  careful  study  will  reveal  the  fact 
that  the  remainder  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
consists  largely  of  amplification  of  the  idea  expressed 
in  these  opening  verses. 

Having  recited  the  Beatitudes  from  memory,  let 
the  pupil  tabulate  the  qualities  of  character  enumer- 
ated in  them,  and  the  results  of  such  qualities  in  the 
columns  provided  for  this  purpose.  As  this  is  done, 
endeavor  to  ascertain  what  idea  the  pupil  has  con- 
cerning each  of  these  traits  of  character,  correcting 
false  impressions  where  they  exist.  Several  of  them 
are  very  much  alike  and,  for  the  purposes  of  this 
study,  may  be  regarded  as  practically  identical, 
such  as  the  first,  third,  and  fourth,  all  of  which 
express  the  quality  of  open-mindedness,  willingness 
to  learn  and  be  helped,  as  opposed  to  a  self-conceit 
or  wilfulness  that  issues  in  self-sufficiency  and  so 
closes  the  door  to  help  or  growth.  Jesus  gave  an 
illustration  of  this  contrast  in  the  story  of  the  Pharisee 
and  the  Publican  (Luke  18:9-14;  cf.  §2).  Care 
should  be  taken  to  avoid  the  idea  of  weakness  or 
unworthy  poverty  of  spirit  that  is  sometimes  gained 


84  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

by  children  with  reference  to  the  Christian  life.  That 
Jesus  himself  had  none  of  this  is  shown  by  such 
incidents  as  are  related  in  John  2:13-22;  Luke 
4:16-30;  Mark  4:35-41;  and  the  many  other 
occasions  when,  for  principle's  sake,  he  withstood 
the  powers  that  ruled.  It  is,  of  course,  shown  most 
conclusively  of  all  by  the  manner  in  which  he  pursued 
his  course  to  the  end  without  flinching,  even  when 
his  way  led  to  the  cross.  An  attractive  illustration 
may  be  found  in  Tennyson's  story  of  Gareth  and 
Lynette.  Gareth,  grown  to  young  manhood,  wished 
to  go  to  King  Arthur's  court  and  win  glory  and  fame 
in  his  service,  and  for  right's  sake : 

Man  am  I  grown,  a  man's  work  must  I  do. 
Follow  the  deer?  follow  the  Christ,  the  King, 
Live  pure,  speak  true,  right  wrong,  follow  the  King — 
Else,  wherefore  born  ? 

His  mother,  fearful  for  him  and  loath  to  lose  her 
youngest  son,  tries  to  keep  him  at  home,  but  at  last 
consents  on  one  condition,  thinking  that  he  would  be 
too  proud  to  accept  it.  This  was  that  he  should  go 
in  disguise  to  the  palace,  engage  to  serve  a  year  as  a 
kitchen  slave,  doing  the  most  menial  tasks,  and  not 
reveal  his  name  or  lineage  until  the  time  was  up. 

For  so  the  Queen  believed  that  when  her  son 
Beheld  his  only  way  to  glory  lead 
Low  down  thro'  villain  kitchen-vassalage, 
Her  own  true  Gareth  was  too  princely  proud 
To  pass  thereby;  so  should  he  rest  with  her. 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    85 

But  Gareth  accepted  the  condition  and  carried  it  out 
with  so  much  of  grace  and  nobility  that  before  the 
time  was  up  his  mother  released  him  from  the  condi- 
tions and  he  won  his  right  to  enter  into  the  circle  of 
knights. 

So  Gareth  all  for  glory  underwent 

The  sooty  yoke  of  kitchen-vassalage; 


To  turn  the  broach,  draw  water,  or  hew  wood, 
Or  grosser  tasks;  and  Gareth  bowed  himself 
With  all  obedience  to  the  King,  and  wrought 
All  kinds  of  service  with  a  noble  ease 
That  graced  the  lowliest  act  in  doing  it. 

But  when  at  last  his  time  came,  he  proved  his 
strength  and  courage  in  the  quest  that  was  given 
him,  proving  his  power  not  only  to  right  wrong, 
but  to  control  himself. 

It  may  be  a  most  favorable  opportunity  in  connec- 
tion with  this  section  for  the  teacher,  having  mastered 
this  story  of  Tennyson's,  to  make  it  lead  on  to  a 
simple  organization  of  a  class  of  boys  or  girls  into  a 
band  of  knights  for  the  open-minded,  serviceable 
life,  adapting  the  method  to  the  particular  circum- 
stances that  may  exist.  Valuable  suggestions  may  be 
secured  by  writing  to  Frank  L.  Masseck,  Brattle- 
boro,  Vt.,  for  literature  regarding  the  Knights  of 
King  Arthur,  or  to  William  B.  Forbush,  Ph.D.,  of 
the  General  Alliance  of  Workers  with  Boys. 

Other  traits  of  character  mentioned  are :  they  that 
mourn — i.  e.,  feel  sorry  for  their  need  and  that  of 


86  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

others,  instead  of  being  indifferent  and  cold;  the 
merciful,  the  pure  in  heart  —  whose  thoughts  are  clean 
and  pure,  not  simply  their  outward  appearance;  the 
peace-makers,  the  persecuted  for  righteousness'  sake 
—  those  who  endure  scorn  or  loss  for  principle's  sake. 
All  these  traits  of  character  should  be  brought  into 
consideration  as  essential  to  a  worthy  knight  in  the 
service  of  God.  Especially  should  the  teacher 
emphasize  the  necessity  for  purity  of  thought  and 
word,  the  danger  of  the  foul  story  and  the  impure 
jest  as  lowering  the  standard  of  manhood  or  woman- 
hood and  weakening  the  character. 

And  this  thought  may  lead  to  the  other  thought 
of  the  section,  that  all  true  character  is  from  within, 
hearty,  sincere;  not  outward  merely,  formal  and 
insincere.  Let  the  pupil  compare  Jesus'  words  on 
this  point  (Matt.  5  :  20)  with  the  impression  that  his 
own  teaching  made  on  the  people  (Matt.  8:1). 

Home  work.  —  Learn  in  advance  the  Beatitudes 
(Matt.  5  :  3-10).  Read  also  5  :  13-16,  43-48  ;  6  :  19- 
34,7:1-5,24-29. 


Review  of  Chapters  III  and  IV 

Little  additional  comment  is  needed  on  this  section. 
The  work  should  be  done  from  memory,  either  in  class 
or  at  home.  Use  the  Review  Map,  without  marks  of 
any  kind  for  locating  the  places,  and  have  the  pupil 
tell  as  briefly  as  possible  what  happened  at  each 
place. 


JESUS  ORGANIZING  His  WORK    87 

The  pictures  printed  in  the  Note  Book  represent 
"The  Wedding  Feast  at  Cana,"  "Rebuking  the 
Traders  in  the  Temple,"  "Healing  the  Sick,"  recall- 
ing the  lesson  on  "A  Sabbath  Day  in  Capernaum," 
and  "Jesus  and  His  Disciples  in  the  Grain-fields," 
recalling  the  lesson  on  "Doing  Good  on  the  Sab- 
bath." The  identification  and  description  of  these 
pictures  will  be  found  a  pleasant  and  interesting 
way  of  reviewing  the  incidents. 

The  outline  story  which  follows  will  serve  to  link 
all  the  events  of  these  two  chapters  into  a  connected 
narrative. 


CHAPTER  V 

JESUS  AMONG  THE  PEOPLE 
§  20.     The  Centurion's  Servant 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  7 :  i-io;  Matt.  8:5-13. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  par.  130,  pp.  109,  no;  Edersheim,  Life 
and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap. 
xix;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  110- 
12;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xxxix, 
first  part;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap.  xix. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  the  site  of  Ca- 
pernaum is  furnished  with  the  section.  Underwood, 
stereographs  nos.  3166,  3199,  would  also  be  useful. 

Explanatory  notes. — A  centurion  was  a  Roman 
army  officer,  in  command  of  a  company  of  fifty  to 
one  hundred  men.  He  was  of  about  the  same  rank 
as  our  captain.  This  man  was  evidently  wealthy 
and  a  gentile,  judging  from  Luke  7:5.  The  char- 
acter of  the  man  may  be  inferred  from  his  care  for  a 
servant,  unusual  for  a  man  of  his  standing;  the 
esteem  in  which  he  was  evidently  held  among  the 
Jews,  and  his  own  spirit  of  humility  evidenced  by  his 
willingness  to  ask  Jesus  for  help  in  the  first  place, 
and  his  "I  am  not  worthy"  when  Jesus  offered  to 
come  to  his  house.  His  great  faith  in  Jesus  is  also 
plainly  evident.  It  was  this  great  faith  in  a  gentile, 
surpassing  that  of  the  Jews,  that  surprised  Jesus  and 

88 


JESUS    AMONG    THE    PEG  PLE  89 

won  from  him  words  of  high  praise.  He  makes  it 
very  clear  that  such  faith  is  equally  pleasing  to  him, 
whether  found  in  gentile  or  Jew. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — Briefly  review  the 
events  just  preceding  the  choice  of  the  Twelve  and 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount;  then  bring  out  this  story, 
either  by  questioning  the  class  upon  their  previous 
reading  of  it,  or  by  telling  it  to  them.  Draw  out  by 
questions  their  thought  upon  these  points :  the  char- 
acter of  this  centurion,  and  how  manifested;  that 
which  especially  won  the  commendation  of  Jesus, 
and  the  result  of  a  like  spirit  in  the  life  of  any  man. 
Three  traits  are  prominent  in  Luke's  narrative:  his 
kindness  of  heart  or  generosity,  indicated  by  his 
care  for  his  slave  and  his  actions  toward  the  Jews 
(vs.  5);  his  humility,  remarkable  in  a  Roman, 
shown  by  his  asking  help  of  a  Jewish  rabbi  and 
especially  by  vs.  6;  and  his  faith,  shown  by  his 
second  message. 

From  this  story  ask  the  pupil  to  give  a  definition 
of  what  faith  is. 

Home  work. — Read  the  lesson  story  as  told  by 
Luke  7:1-10.  What  does  Matthew  add  to  the  story 
in  8:5-13? 

§21.     Forgiving  the  Penitent 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  7:36-50. 
References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  p.  113;    Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of 


90  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  xxi;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  117-20;  Geikie,  Life 
and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xl;  Farrar,  Life  of 
Christ,  chap,  xxi;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ, 
pp.  182-201;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  chap.  xix. 

Illustrative  material. — Picture  "Anointing  the 
Feet  of  Jesus"  by  Hofmann  (Brown  no.  817,  Perry 
no.  797R,  Wilde  no.  75).  This  picture  is  not  true 
to  the  facts  in  all  its  details,  but  the  expressions  on 
the  faces  of  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  are  well  done. 

Explanatory  notes. — We  can  only  surmise  the  real 
motive  of  this  Pharisee  in  inviting  Jesus  to  his  house, 
but  Jesus,  as  ever,  shows  himself  ready  to  meet  any- 
one. The  construction  of  the  oriental  house,  open 
as  it  was,  gave  much  less  of  privacy  than  ours,  and 
the  entrance  of  even  strangers  at  a  feast  would  occa- 
sion but  little  surprise.  The  custom  of  reclining 
upon  couches  at  the  table,  with  the  feet  behind, 
would  make  easy  the  act  that  took  place.  As  the 
woman  came  behind  Jesus,  her  feelings  seem  to  have 
overcome  her,  and  she  hastily  wiped  away  the  invol- 
untary tears  with  her  hair.  Her  real  purpose  seems 
to  have  been  the  costly  gift  of  ointment.  Simon's 
censorious  comment  was  in  keeping  with  the  stand- 
ards of  his  sect.  No  Pharisee  would  have  know- 
ingly allowed  a  sinful  woman  to  touch  him.  Hence, 
Simon  reasoned,  Jesus  either  must  be  ignorant  of 
this  woman's  character,  or  he  too  must  be  unclean, 
and  in  neither  case  a  prophet.  The  moral  of  the 


JESUS    AMONG    THE    PEOPLE  91 

story  which  Jesus  tells  in  answer  to  Simon's  thought 
is  obvious.  Jesus  then  contrasts  the  loving  acts  of 
this  penitent  woman  with  the  absence  of  common 
courtesy  on  the  part  of  the  sanctimonious  Simon. 
The  water  for  the  feet,  the  kiss  of  welcome,  and  the 
oil  for  the  head  were  no  more  than  courtesy  de- 
manded under  the  circumstances.  Hence  the  Phari- 
see is  left  in  his  proud  isolation,  while  the  woman 
finds  the  due  reward  for  her  acts  of  loving  penitence 
— forgiveness  and  peace. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — Tell  the  story,  empha- 
sizing the  contrast  between  the  haughty,  supercili- 
ous Pharisee,  priding  himself  on  his  own  righteous- 
ness; and  the  humble,  penitent  woman  who,  sinful 
though  she  was,  tried  to  show  her  penitence  by  her 
acts.  Note  the  judgment  upon  each.  The  Phari- 
see is  left  in  the  isolation  of  his  own  self-conceit, 
while  the  woman  finds  forgiveness  and  favor.  Note 
other  instances  in  which  Jesus  condemns  the  sin  of 
self-righteousness:  Luke  18:9-14;  Matt.  7:1-5; 
Luke  11:37-52. 

One  of  the  greatest  lessons  of  his  teaching  is  that 
God  loves  and  welcomes  the  penitent,  but  can  do 
absolutely  nothing  with  the  proud  and  self-righteous. 
When  Jesus  took  the  little  child  as  a  type  of  those 
who  should  enter  the  kingdom  (Matt.  18:1-4),  he 
probably  had  in  mind  the  open-mindedness  of  the 
child.  Self-conceit  is  not  a  characteristic  of  a  nor- 
mal child. 


92  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

Home  work. — Read  the  lesson  story  in  Luke  7: 
36-50.  After  the  lesson  learn  Matt.  5:3-6  and 
I  John  1:9. 

|  22.     A  Storm  on  the  Sea 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  4:35-41. 

References  for  study. — Edersheim,  Life  and  Times 
of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  iv;  Geikie, 
Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xlii;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  139-42;  Farrar,  Life 
of  Christ,  chap,  xxiii;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ, 
pp.  210-15. 

Illustrative  material. — The  picture  of  boats  on  the 
Sea  of  Galilee  (§14)  indicates  the  kind  of  craft  used 
in  those  days.  Underwood  ster.  nos.  3163,  3164, 
give  further  illustration  of  the  scene.  Dora's 
"Peace  Be  Still"  (Brown  no.  392,  Wilde  no.  78) 
may  also  be  used.  Renouf's  picture  "The  Pilot" 
(Brown  no.  725,  Perry  no.  597)  or  Brooks's  "Grace 
Darling"  (Brown  no.  239,  Perry  no.  1081)  may  help 
to  introduce  the  story. 

Explanatory  notes. — The  narrative  needs  little 
comment.  As  they  crossed  the  lake,  in  one  of  the 
open  fishing-boats  such  as  are  still  in  use  there,  one 
of  the  sudden  squalls  common  upon  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  descended  upon  them.  Jesus,  wearied  with 
the  day's  work,  was  quietly  resting  in  the  stern  of  the 
boat  and  did  not  perceive  the  commotion  until 
aroused  by  the  disciples  with  the  request  for  help. 


JESUS  AMONG  THE  PEOPLE     93 

Immediately  following  his  rebuke  there  came  a  calm 
quite  as  sudden  as  the  storm  itself — something  not 
uncommon  in  such  cases,  but  not  to  be  expected 
just  at  that  moment.  Its  effect  upon  the  mind  of 
the  disciples  was  greatly  to  increase  their  estimate  of 
his  wonder-working  powers. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  thought  of  this 
section  and  the  next  is  God's  power  over  the  storms 
of  nature  and  of  the  heart.  The  particular  lesson 
here  is  that  of  confidence  in  the  midst  of  danger, 
through  trust  in  God. 

A  point  of  approach  may  be  found  in  the  experi- 
ences which  some  pupils  may  have  had  in  witness- 
ing sudden  storms  at  the  Like  or  seashore,  or  by 
showing  Renouf's  or  Brooks's  similar  picture  of  a 
boat  in  a  storm.  The  story  of  this  section  deals 
with  such  a  storm.  Jesus  had  been  hard  at  work 
teaching  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  near  Capernaum. 
He  needed  rest.  Describe  the  hurried  departure, 
"even  as  he  was;"  Jesus  falling  asleep  on  the  steers- 
man's bench  at  the  stern,  the  quiet  movements  of 
the  men  in  order  not  to  disturb  him,  the  sudden 
storm,  their  fear  contrasted  with  Jesus'  quiet  confi- 
dence, and  the  calm  that  followed.  This  is  the  cli- 
max that  should  be  brought  out  strongly:  the  confi- 
dence of  Jesus  contrasted  with  the  panic  of  the  dis- 
ciples. Let  the  pupil  give  his  own  thought  on  the 
reason  why  Jesus  was  unafraid.  Two  points  may 
be  made:  (i)  Jesus  felt  himself  always  safe  in  the 


94  THELlFEOFjESUS 

care  of  his  Heavenly  Father,  and  he  knew  that  he 
was  in  God's  care  as  long  as  he  was  doing  his  duty. 
He  knew  too  that  God  cared  for  all  his  children,  and 
he  had  tried  so  hard  to  teach  his  disciples  this  that  he 
felt  obliged  to  rebuke  them  now  for  their  lack  of  faith. 
See  Luke  13:31-33;  John  19:4-12.  (2)  Jesus  was 
thinking  more  of  others  than  himself.  This  always 
makes  brave  men.  Even  animals  who  are  naturally 
timid  will  brave  danger  in  defense  of  their  young, 
and  the  heroes  in  times  of  shipwreck  or  great  dis- 
aster are  those  who  forget  themselves  in  the  effort  to 
save  others.  The  story  of  Grace  Darling  may  be 
used  to  illustrate  this  point. 

These  two  points  may  be  summed  up  in  the 
passages  assigned  for  memorizing  at  home. 

Home  work. — Read  the  Scripture  story  in  Mark 
4:35-41  and  after  the  lesson  learn  Matt.  10:29-31; 
Prov.  1:33;  and  I  John  4:18. 

§  23.     Casting  out  of  Evil  Spirits 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  5:1-20;   Luke  8:26- 

39- 

References  for  study.— Burton  and  Ma  thews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pars.  152,  153,  pp.  125,  126;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  142-45 ;  Edersheim, 
Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap, 
xxv ;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xlii; 
Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xxiii,  last  part;  Phelps, 
Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  215-20. 


JESUS    AMONG    THE    PEOPLE  95 

Illustrative  material. — See  Underwood  stereo- 
graphs under  §  22. 

Explanatory  notes. — The  country  of  the  Gada- 
renes,  or  Gerasenes,  was  on  the  east  shore  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee,  near  a  town  now  called  Khersa.  The 
man  whom  they  met  there  was  a  madman  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  thought  of  that  day,  was  believed  to 
be  under  the  power  of  an  evil  spirit.  His  language 
seems  to  express  a  state  of  double  consciousness. 
The  entire  narrative  reflects  the  common  belief  of 
the  day  as  to  demoniac  possession  and  the  separate, 
personal  existence  of  the  evil  spirits.  If  the  accounts 
of  Luke  and  Mark  be  carefully  compared,  it  will 
appear  that  the  man  first  cried  out  against  Jesus 
with  violence,  then  fell  down  and  worshiped  him. 
The  commotion  in  the  early  light  of  day  seems  to 
have  stampeded  a  herd  of  swine  feeding  near.  In 
the  minds  of  the  ignorant  people,  Jesus  was  per- 
sonally responsible  for  this  and,  caring  more  for 
their  property  than  the  act  of  healing  that  was  done, 
they  besought  him  to  leave  them. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — In  the  last  section  we 
had  a  view  of  Jesus  superior  to  the  storms  of  nature; 
here  we  see  him  commanding  the  passions  of  human- 
ity. The  central  thought  is  God's  power  to  quiet 
these  storms  of  the  heart.  An  approach  may  be 
found  in  some  such  questions  as  the  following:  Did 
you  ever  see  anyone  very,  very  angry?  What  did 
he  do  ?  Have  you  ever  seen  anyone  throw  himself 


96  THE  LIFE  or  JESUS 

on  the  floor  and  kick  and  scream  ?  Have  you  ever 
seen  anyone  get  so  angry  that  he  could  not  talk 
straight  or  control  his  actions?  Perhaps  you  may 
have  heard  this  called  "storming."  It  is  a  storm  in 
the  heart.  We  talk  of  people  going  into  a  tempest 
of  anger.  It  is  an  ugly  thing.  A  storm  at  sea  may 
be  a  grand  and  even  beautiful  sight,  if  no  one  is  in 
danger.  But  a  storm  of  anger  is  never  anything  but 
ugly  and  pitiful.  And  if  one  gets  into  such  a  tempest 
very  often,  it  grows  harder  to  keep  control.  Some- 
times it  comes  to  be  such  a  habit  that  all  control  is 
lost.  Then  the  person  is  called  mad  or  insane,  and 
he  becomes  dangerous.  This  does  not  mean  that 
all  insane  people  have  become  so  through  anger,  but 
this  sometimes  leads  to  it.  Neither  are  all  insane 
people  dangerous. 

The  methods  of  treating  the  insane  used  to  be 
very  crude  and  even  cruel.  Through  ignorance  of 
how  they  might  be  cured,  people  used  to  chain  them 
up  or  keep  them  in  cages  like  animals,  so  that  an 
insane  asylum  used  to  be  a  very  dreadful  place,  not 
at  all  like  some  of  the  pleasant  homes  that  are  pro- 
vided for  them  today. 

It  was  a  man  who  had  been  treated  thus  that  Jesus 
found.  At  first  he  would  have  sent  Jesus  away  and 
shouted  out  at  him.  But  Jesus  was  not  afraid.  He 
spoke  firmly  but  quietly,  and  soon  cured  the  poor 
fellow.  Meanwhile,  a  herd  of  swine,  feeding  near, 
became  frightened  and  stampeded  over  the  edge  of 


JESUS  AMONG  THE  PEOPLE     97 

the  cliff.  In  the  minds  of  the  ignorant  people,  Jesus 
was  responsible  for  this,  and  they  asked  him  to  go 
away,  caring  more  for  their  swine  than  for  the  won- 
derful act  of  healing.  But  the  man  who  had  been 
healed  became  a  joyful  witness  to  the  power  of  Jesus 
over  him.  How  does  Jesus  have  power  over  such 
storms  today?  Cf.  Eccles.  7:9;  Eph.  4:31,  32; 
Col.  3:8.  God's  way  of  overcoming  these  passions 
is  to  put  something  better  in  place  of  them  (Gal.  5 : 
22,  23). 

Home  work. — Read  the  lesson  story  in  Mark  5: 
1-20,  comparing  this  with  Luke  8:26-39.  Learn 
Eccles.  7:9;  Eph.  4:31,  32;  and  Gal.  5:22,  23. 


CHAPTER  VI 

JESUS  AND  HIS  DISCIPLES 

1 24.     Acknowledged  as  the  Christ 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  8:27-30;  Matt.  16: 
13-20;  Luke  9:18-21. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pars.  186,  187,  pp.  152-54;  Dawson,  Life 
of  Christ,  chap,  xvii;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  xxxvii;  Geikie, 
Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xlvi;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  197-200;  Farrar, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap.  xxxv. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  Caesarea  Phi- 
lippi  accompanies  the  section.  Other  pictures  are 
"  Old  Gate  to  Caesarea  Philippi "  (Underwood,  ster. 
no.  3169);  "Summer  House  at  Caesarea  Philippi" 
(Underwood,  ster.  no.  3170). 

Explanatory  notes. — Caesarea  Philippi,  at  the  foot 
of  Mount  Hermon,  on  the  site  of  Panias,  so  called 
from  the  god  Pan,  to  whom  was  consecrated  a  cave 
near  by.  From  this  cave  flows  the  Banias,  one  of 
the  principal  sources  of  the  Jordan.  The  city  had 
been  rebuilt  by  Herod  Philip  and  named  in  honor 
of  Augustus,  with  the  addition  of  Philippi  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  Caesarea  on  the  Mediterranean  in 
the  tetrarchy  of  Antipas.  Jesus  had  reached  a  criti- 
cal point  in  his  career.  The  opposition  to  him 
9* 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES        99 

among  the  leaders  had  increased,  and  even  the  people 
were  beginning  to  turn  their  backs  upon  him.  He 
could  not  continue  his  work  much  longer  without 
interruption.  It  became  increasingly  necessary,  if 
he  was  to  succeed  in  his  mission,  to  be  sure  of  his 
disciples,  to  see  whether  they  had  really  sensed  his 
purpose.  This  northern  journey  was  for  the  pur- 
pose of  retirement  and  converse  with  them.  He  first 
inquires  as  to  the  popular  opinion  of  himself.  The 
disciples  had  undoubtedly  mingled  more  freely  with 
the  people  than  he,  and  knew  what  they  were 
saying.  Their  replies  showed  that  the  people  at 
large  had  not  yet  understood  his  mission.  So  he 
turns  to  the  disciples,  upon  whom,  if  upon  anyone, 
the  continuation  of  his  work  must  depend:  "What 
do  you  think  ? "  Peter's  answer  is  prompt,  vigor- 
ous, and  loyal.  It  was  a  profession  of  faith  in  Jesus 
and  personal  loyalty  to  him,  the  more  praiseworthy 
because  the  popular  trend  seemed  the  other  way. 
But  Peter  had  come  to  know  Jesus  and  had  begun 
to  appreciate  the  spiritual  values  of  his  character. 
It  was  a  God-given  insight,  not  a  flesh-and-blood 
opinion.  "  Upon  this  rock  will  I  found  my  church  " : 
It  is  not  quite  certain  what  these  words  meant 
for  the  writer  of  this  gospel,  but  the  thought  of 
Jesus  must  have  been  that  Peter's  faith  in  Christ 
and  the  personal  loyalty  which  it  inspired  were  to  be 
the  strength  of  his  life  and  the  foundation  of  all 
Christian  life  (Eph.  2:19,  20;  I  Cor.  3:11).  "I  will 


ioo  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  " : 
Peter  and  others  possessed  of  like  faith  in  Christ 
were  given  the  gospel  in  trust.  They  are  the  natural 
leaders  in  the  work  of  the  kingdom,  and  upon  their 
faithful  administration  of  their  trust  depends  the 
spiritual  destiny  of  many  souls. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  lesson  of  this  inci- 
dent is  that  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  personal  loyalty 
to  him  are  the  foundation  of  the  Christian  life.  And 
this  faith  is  born  of  an  appreciation  of  the  spiritual 
values  of  Jesus'  life  and  teaching,  rather  than  exter- 
nal appearances  or  considerations.  Let  the  story  be 
told  so  as  to  bring  out  the  contrast  between  Peter's 
attitude  and  that  of  the  people  generally.  Note  the 
crisis  in  the  affairs  of  Jesus,  the  turning  of  popular 
favor  from  him,  the  need  and  purpose  of  this  journey 
for  retirement  with  his  disciples,  and  the  particular 
scene  before  us.  Perhaps  Jesus  and  the  Twelve 
were  walking  along  the  road  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Hermon,  Jesus  thinking  of  the  past  and  of  his  future 
plans.  He  turns  to  his  disciples  with  the  question: 
"  Who  do  men  say  that  I  am  ?  "  The  answers  show 
that  the  people  have  missed  the  secret.  Now  for 
the  test  of  those  who  have  been  closest  to  him:  " But 
who  say  ye  that  I  am?"  Imagine  Jesus'  joy  at 
Peter's  reply,  as  indicated  by  Matthew.  How  did 
Peter  learn  the  secret  when  others  had  failed? 
What  were  the  people  generally  expecting  from  the 
Messiah?  How  had  Jesus  disappointed  them? 
Had  he  not  disappointed  Peter  also?  Soon  after, 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES       101 

Peter  showed  that  even  he  did  not  fully  understand 
Jesus.  Yet  he  had  faith  in  him.  This  may  be  illus- 
trated by  referring  again  to  Tennyson's  story  of 
Gareth  and  Lynette  (cf.  §  18).  When  Gareth  came 
as  a  servant  to  King  Arthur's  court,  he  found  very 
different  treatment  from  two  of  the  knights  there. 
Sir  Kay,  in  whose  immediate  charge  he  was,  saw 
only  the  garments  of  a  kitchen  slave  and  treated  him 
with  contempt.  Sir  Lancelot  saw  through  the  out- 
ward appearance  the  royal  spirit  and 

the  noble  ease 
That  graced  the  lowliest  act  in  doing  it, 

and  treated  him  with  brotherly  consideration.  This 
is  God's  way  of  judging  (I  Sam.  16:7;  John  7:24). 
Note  particularly  Jesus'  warm  commendation  of 
Peter's  attitude  and  the  high  value  placed  upon  this 
loyalty  to  himself  (cf.  I  Cor.  3:11).  Show  how 
great  is  the  need  today  for  loyalty  to  God  and  to  the 
right.  The  world  wants  nothing  so  much  as  this 
quality  of  conscientious  bravery  that  will  stand  for 
principle  with  high  faith  and  noble  courage.  That 
is  why  such  leaders  as  Roosevelt  are  so  universally 
admired. 

Home  work.— Read  the  narrative  in  Mark  8:27- 
30  and  Matt.  16:13-20.  Learn  John  7:24  and 
I  Cor.  3:11. 

§  25.     The  Cost  and  Value  of  the  Christian  Life 
Scripture  narrative. — Mark  8:31 — 9:1;  Matt.  16: 
21-28;  Luke  9:22-27. 


102  THELlFEOFjESDS 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  par.  188,  pp.  155-58;  Dawson,  Life  of 
Christ,  chap,  xvii;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  oj 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  III,  chap,  xxxvii;  Bird, 
Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  200-203; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xlvi;  Farrar, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xxxv;  and  an  excellent  summary 
of  the  situation  in  Rhees,  Life  of  Jesus,  pars.  155- 
60,  pp.  141-46. 

Illustrative  material. — Any  of  the  pictures  men- 
tioned in  the  preceding  section  are  appropriate  for 
this  one. 

Explanatory  notes. — The  disciples  having  given 
evidence  that  they  had  faith  in  Jesus,  they  were 
somewhat  prepared  to  learn  the  next  truth,  that  he 
must  suffer  and  that  suffering  and  sacrifice  must  be 
the  cost  of  serving  him.  No  one  is  ready  to  face 
this  fact  until  he  has  some  measure  of  faith.  This  is 
the  first  time  that  Jesus  clearly  stated  to  his  disciples 
the  inevitable  end  of  his  earthly  work.  But  it  is  not 
a  pessimistic  view.  Though  he  sees  death  clearly 
ahead,  he  is  no  less  certain  that  death  cannot  ulti- 
mately triumph.  He  will  rise  again.  But  even  this 
could  not  entirely  obscure  the  dreadful  fact  of  death, 
and  this  was  difficult  for  Peter  to  face.  His  remon- 
strance shows  that,  in  spite  of  the  personal  faith  he 
had  gained,  even  he  had  not  as  yet  fully  grasped 
Jesus'  ideal  of  his  ministry.  It  took  him  a  good 
while  yet  to  understand  the  secret  of  Luke  24:26. 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES       103 

Peter's  words  are  a  temptation  to  Jesus,  suggesting 
the  possibility  of  accomplishing  his  work  without  the 
necessity  for  so  great  a  sacrifice,  of  meeting  the  ideas 
of  the  people  more  nearly.  But  Jesus  puts  it  in- 
stantly aside.  Then  he  turns  to  the  multitude  and 
begins  to  tell  them  the  truth  that  he  had  just  given 
to  his  disciples.  Not  only  must  he  suffer  to  fulfil  his 
mission,  but  suffering  is  the  cost  of  following  him. 
One  must  take  up  his  cross — i.  e.,  no  longer  set  his 
own  wishes  and  purposes  first,  but  be  willing  to  give 
one's  whole  life  to  fulfilling  God's  purposes.  And 
yet  Jesus  is  not  asking  anything  unreasonable  for  the 
life  to  which  he  calls  is  the  one  really  worth  while. 
It  is  a  bad  bargain  to  forfeit  this  higher  life,  even  if 
one  might  gain  the  whole  world  thereby.  Jesus 
appeals  to  everyone's  highest  self-interest  after  all. 

The  other  side  of  the  same  truth  is  expressed  in 
the  words  which  tell  the  result  of  failing  to  choose 
God's  way.  The  man  who  is  ashamed  of  God 
thereby  forfeits  his  right  to  God's  favor.  Jesus 
shows  that  he  was  confident  that  death  was  not 
to  end  his  work.  The  promise  that  some  should 
see  in  their  own  lifetime  the  coming  of  God's  king- 
dom with  power  found  abundant  fulfilment  in  the 
great  spread  of  Christianity  in  the  early  apostolic  days. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  central  thought  of 
this  section  is  expressed  in  the  title.  God's  service 
costs  much,  but  it  is  worth  all  that  it  costs.  Note 
the  connection  with  preceding  events.  Jesus  had 


104  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

tested  the  disciples  to  see  whether  they  believed  in 
him.  Now  he  was  testing  them  still  more  to  see 
how  strong  their  faith  was.  Having  some  founda- 
tion of  faith  in  him,  they  ought  to  be  ready  to  recog- 
nize what  it  might  cost  them.  Call  the  attention  of 
the  class  to  the  fact  that  life  is  a  constant  series  of 
choices.  Everyone  has  to  choose  out  of  many 
things  that  one  might  do,  the  thing  which,  for  one 
reason  or  another,  one  wants  to  do  most.  And, 
having  chosen  that,  one  must  not  let  other  things 
interfere.  One  may  choose  from  among  many 
things  any  one  of  which  might  be  right  and  proper. 
Then  the  choice  is  a  mere  matter  of  preference. 
Again,  one  may  find  it  necessary  to  choose  certain 
things  because  of  the  relation  they  may  have  to  some 
ultimate  end.  Boys  and  girls  have  to  put  aside  play 
at  times,  for  the  sake  of  study,  in  order  that  they  may 
fit  themselves  to  do  their  part  in  the  world.  But 
oftentimes  the  choice  is  between  things  that  are 
wrong  and  things  that  are  right.  Then  conscience 
tells  us  which  we  ought  to  choose,  and  the  right 
choice  becomes  a  matter  of  duty.  It  is  not  always 
easy  to  choose  the  right.  Often  it  is  very  hard  to  do. 
In  this  case  Jesus  knew  that  it  meant  death  to  him. 
The  leaders  of  the  people  were  determined  to  kill 
him  if  he  kept  on  teaching  as  he  had  been.  But  he 
knew  that  he  was  teaching  only  the  truth  and  living 
as  he  ought  to  live.  He  could  not  change  without 
doing  wrong.  Therefore  he  chose  to  go  straight 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES       105 

ahead.  He  thought  it  was  worth  while;  for,  while 
he  might  have  gained  something  by  letting  down 
from  his  conviction  of  right,  he  would  have  lost  what 
to  him  was  worth  more  than  all  the  world.  It  is 
never  a  gain  that  is  made  at  the  cost  of  right.  Re- 
call the  illustration  from  Darrett  of  the  Blessed  Isles 
(§  10,  pp.  50,  51  of  this  Manual}. 

The  pupil  should  be  led  to  see  the  necessity  of 
such  choices  in  life.  The  practical  applications  may 
be  brought  out  by  some  such  questions  as  the  follow- 
ing: What  are  some  of  the  many  things  you  like  to 
do  ?  Can  you  do  them  all  at  once  ?  What  decides 
which  of  them  you  do  at  any  one  time?  Do  we 
ever  have  to  do  things  that  interfere  with  something 
we  would  rather  like  to  do  at  the  time  ?  Why  ? 
When  does  it  become  wrong  to  play?  Is  it  ever 
wrong  to  make  money  ? 

The  principle  of  choosing  the  difficult  thing  for 
the  sake  of  the  higher  thing  that  lies  beyond  is  finely 
illustrated  in  the  story  of  Gareth  (§  18,  pp.  84,  85). 

Home  work. — Read  the  narrative  in  Mark  8:31 — 
9:1.  Learn  vss.  34-36  and  the  hymn  printed  in  the 
Note  Book. 

§  26.     On  the  Mountain  at  Night 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  9:2-13;  Matt.  17: 
1-13;  Luke  9:28-36. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  par.  189,  pp.  158-60;  Edersheim,  Life 


io6  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap,  i; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xlvii;  Bird, 
Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  203-6;  Daw- 
son,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  233-39. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  Mount  Her- 
mon,  the  probable  scene  of  the  transfiguration,  is 
given  with  the  section. 

Explanatory  notes. — The  meaning  of  this  experi- 
ence is  to  be  seen  by  connecting  it  with  what  pre- 
cedes. Six  or  eight  days  had  elapsed  since  the  con- 
versation of  Jesus  with  his  disciples,  in  which  Peter 
had  made  his  strong  profession  of  faith  in  Jesus  and 
Jesus  had  made  clear  the  cost  of  his  service.  Ima- 
gination must  supply  the  events  of  the  interval. 
When  we  consider  the  importance  of  the  crisis,  we 
can  see  how  impossible  it  is  that  the  matter  should 
have  been  dismissed  with  the  brief  conversation  re- 
corded. The  days  were  undoubtedly  occupied  with 
intimate  fellowship  and  earnest  discussion.  Jesus 
would  endeavor  to  meet  the  doubts  and  fears  of  his 
disciples,  and  show  them  how  impossible  it  was  for 
him  to  accomplish  the  work  he  came  to  do  except 
at  the  cost  of  suffering  and  even  of  death.  The 
rulers  would  not  permit  him  to  continue  his  teaching 
much  longer,  and  Jesus  could  not  change  his  methods 
because  he  knew  they  were  right.  But  he  would 
undoubtedly  try  to  show  them  that  this  was  to  be  no 
useless,  hopeless  struggle,  but  that  some  day  men 
should  see  the  glory  of  it  all  in  the  kingdom  of  God 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES       107 

upon  the  earth.  Finally,  worn  out  with  the  strain 
of  facing  continuously  such  painful  thoughts,  he 
seeks  relief  and  rest  in  prayer.  He  takes  with  him, 
for  company,  three  of  the  disciples  who  seem  to  have 
been  closest  and  dearest  to  him.  They  too  were 
wearied  and  fell  asleep.  Perhaps  the  rest  and  re- 
freshment helped  them  to  see  things  more  clearly. 
At  any  rate,  God  sent  to  these  men  a  vision  that 
was  the  solution  of  all  the  dreary  problem  that  had 
been  troubling  them  so  much.  Jesus  had  perhaps 
tried  to  show  them  that  a  true  interpretation  of 
the  teachings  of  Moses  and  the  prophets  would  bear 
out  his  own  view  of  his  work.  They  stood  for  the 
highest  righteousness  attainable.  So  did  he,  and  in 
his  case  it  meant  suffering  and  death.  And  now 
they  see  it.  Moses  and  Elijah  stand  side  by  side 
with  Jesus,  and  all  are  surrounded  with  the  divine 
glory,  the  glory  that  surrounds  every  clear  vision  of 
a  high  and  noble  ideal.  God  sent  them  this  vision 
that  they  might  see  all  this  as  he  saw  it,  the  true 
meaning  of  Jesus'  life  of  sacrifice.  It  was  not 
shameful  defeat,  but  glory.  The  value  of  the  vision 
to  the  disciples  was  that  it  must  have  been  a  bright 
and  encouraging  memory  hi  later  hours  when  faith 
was  sorely  tried  and  things  seemed  dark. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  thought  of  this 
section  is  the  complement  of  that  in  the  preceding 
section.  There  the  cost  of  high  and  noble  service 
was  emphasized;  here  the  glory  and  joy  of  it  is 


io8  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

brought  out.  The  story  should  be  continued  in 
close  connection  with  that  of  the  former  section.  If 
the  story  of  Gareth  and  Lynette  has  been  used  to 
illustrate  the  earlier  lessons,  and  especially  if  the 
class  has  been  led  to  organize  itself  into  a  band  of 
knights,  this  story  will  come  in  very  well  in  connec- 
tion with  this  lesson.  Read  on  and  see  how,  after 
Gareth  had  faithfully  served  his  vassalage,  and  after 
he  had  patiently  and  courteously  borne  all  the  spite- 
ful things  that  Lynette  had  said  to  him  as  they 
started  out  on  their  quest  together,  he  finally  won 
his  victory,  not  only  over  the  enemy,  but  over  the 
fair  Lynette;  for  at  last  she  said: 

....  thy  pardon,  friend, 
For  thou  hast  ever  answered  courteously, 
And  wholly  bold  thou  art,  and  meek  withal 
As  any  of  Arthur's  best. 

Then  joy  filled  Gareth's  heart,  and  he  replied : 

And  seeing  now  thy  words  are  fair,  methinks 
There  rides  no  knight,  not  Lancelot,  his  great  self, 
Hath  force  to  quell  me. 

Abundant  illustrations  of  the  satisfaction  that 
comes  from  right  living  and  good  deeds  can  be  found. 
This  is  one  of  the  lessons,  however,  that  most  of  all 
needs  continued  illustration  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher  and  parent.  We  who  are  older  can  find 
great  comfort  and  satisfaction  in  the  thought  of 
God's  favor,  the  evidence  of  which  we  find  in  our 
own  conscience.  We  should  remember  that  chil- 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES       109 

dren  need  more  concrete  and  tangible  evidence,  and 
that  most  of  all  they  crave  the  favor  of  those  about 
them,  and  especially  of  parents  and  teachers.  More 
care  in  properly  recognizing  merit,  not  by  material 
rewards  .so  much  as  by  appropriate  words  of  praise, 
would  produce  good  results. 

Home  work. — Read  the  narrative  as  told  in  Mark 
9:2-13.  Learn  Ps.  126:5,  6. 

§27.     Who  Is  Greatest  in  the  Kingdom? 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  9:33-37;  Matt.  18: 
1-5,  10-14;  Luke  9:46-48. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Ma  thews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pars.  196,  197,  pp.  163-65;  Edersheim, 
Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap. 
iii;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xlviii; 
Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  209-13; 
Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xxxvii. 

Illustrative  material. — Ballheim's  picture,  "Jesus 
and  the  Child"  (Brown  no.  1845,  Perry  no.  3252, 
Wilde  no.  97). 

Explanatory  notes. — The  disciples  had  been  dis- 
puting among  themselves  on  the  way  about  the  mate- 
rial rewards  which  they  were  to  receive  in  the  new 
kingdom  that  they  supposed  was  to  be  set  up.  Here 
again  the  worldly  idea  and  personal  selfishness  of 
these  men  came  to  the  surface.  From  the  stand- 
point of  a  worldly  kingdom,  it  would  be  natural  to 
expect  that  they  would  get  the  best  places,  and  it 


no  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

was  but  a  step  to  a  dispute  as  to  who  among  them 
would  have  the  best.  Jesus  probably  had  some 
inkling  as  to  what  they  had  been  talking  about,  and 
his  question  in  Mark  9:33  was  probably  more  for 
the  sake  of  making  them  ashamed  of  themselves 
than  for  information.  This  was  not  the  only  time 
that  Jesus  had  to  reprove  his  disciples  for  this  spirit. 
Cf.  Matt.  20:26,  27;  23:11;  Mark  10:43,  441 
Luke  22:26.  The  little  child  was  taken  as  a  type 
of  the  opposite  spirit — docile,  meek  and  yielding. 
After  all,  it  was  not  the  personal  attainments  that 
were  to  count  in  his  kingdom,  it  was  the  relation  one 
bore  to  God.  The  little  child  might  represent  God 
as  well  as  the  greatest  man. 

Suggestions  jor  teaching. — Bird's  very  sympa- 
thetic account  of  this  section  will  help  to  give  the 
spirit  of  it.  Tell  the  class  something  of  the  condi- 
tions of  life  in  monarchical  countries,  especially  in 
the  eastern  lands:  how  the  nobility  lord  it  over  the 
common  people  and  look  down  upon  them.  The 
same  thing  may  be  tactfully  illustrated  by  the  rela- 
tions between  some  of  the  wealthy  of  our  own  land 
and  the  poor.  Illustrate  the  fact  that  it  is  not  a 
man's  position  or  wealth  that  makes  him  great  or 
little;  it  is  the  man  himself.  This  may  be  shown 
by  the  example  of  such  men  as  Lincoln,  or  Garfield, 
who  from  poor  boys  have  come  to  positions  of  great 
power  and  fame.  Then  show  by  the  example  of 
some  of  those  who  have  been  noted  in  settlement 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES       in 

work,  or  in  similar  ways  have  shown  a  truly  demo- 
cratic spirit,  that  the  truly  great  soul  never  feels  him- 
self above  his  fellows,  but  rather  seeks  to  serve  and 
help.  Show  how  the  little  child  naturally  loves  to 
help  and  to  learn.  The  normal  child  is  not  con- 
ceited or  proud.  When  we  do  meet  such  a  child  we 
feel  sorry  for  him.  The  boy  who  is  ashamed  to  ask 
questions  lest  he  confess  his  ignorance,  or  who  acts 
as  if  he  knew  everything  to  start  with,  has  closed  the 
doors  into  the  kingdom  of  knowledge.  No  one  can 
help  him,  for  he  will  not  give  the  chance.  This  was 
the  spirit  of  the  Pharisees,  and  Jesus  wanted  his 
disciples  to  be  free  from  it.  Cf.  Prov.  26:12;  Isa. 
5:21;  Rom.  12:16;  I  Cor.  13:4. 

Home  work. — Read  the  lesson  story  Mark  9:33- 
37.  Learn  Prov.  26:12  and  I  Cor.  13:4. 

§  28.     How  Often  Shall  I  Forgive? 

Scripture  narrative. — Matt.  18:15-35. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  165-67;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times 
of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap,  iii,  last  part; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  xlviii,  last 
part;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  213 
-i 6;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xxxvii,  last  part. 

Explanatory  notes. — In  the  first  part  of  this  section 
Jesus  gives  the  method  to  be  followed  in  case  of 
dispute  or  hard  feeling.  One  is  not  to  wait  until  the 
other  comes  to  seek  forgiveness,  but  is  to  show  the 


ii2  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

forgiving  spirit  by  taking  the  initiative.  If  after 
such  an  effort  the  attempt  fails,  the  offender  has  by 
that  act  shut  himself  out. 

Peter  seems  not  to  have  yet  comprehended  the 
fulness  of  Christ's  spirit,  and  still,  in  comparison 
with  the  rabbinical  rules,  it  probably  seemed  gener- 
ous to  set  seven  times  as  a  limit  to  repeated  forgive- 
ness. But  Jesus  would  set  no  limits  at  all,  for  this 
is  the  meaning  of  his  "seventy  times  seven."  The 
parable  simply  emphasizes  the  duty  of  forgiveness 
by  reminding  each  one  that  he  himself  had  need 
of  much  more  forgiveness  from  God  than  anyone 
else  owed  to  him. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  thought  of  this 
section  is  very  simple  and  direct.  It  is  the  duty  of 
unlimited  forgiveness  so  far  as  our  spirit  is  con- 
cerned, together  with  the  teaching  that  God  cannot 
fully  forgive  one  who  is  not  himself  forgiving,  for 
the  reason  that  the  spirit  of  unforgiveness  cherished 
is  itself  a  sin,  and  God  cannot  forgive  as  long  as  it 
is  persisted  in.  Tell  the  story  itself;  note  how  Jesus 
himself  exemplified  the  forgiving  spirit  in  his  attitude 
toward  his  enemies  (Luke  22:50,  51;  23:33,  34); 
and  note  the  necessity  of  forgiveness  if  one  would 
be  forgiven.  In  this  connection  call  attention  to 
the  petition  concerning  forgiveness  in  the  Lord's 
Prayer. 

Home  work— Read  the  story  in  Matt.  18:15-35. 
Learn  Matt.  6:14,  15;  7:1-5;  Eph.  4:32. 


JESUS  AND  His  DISCIPLES       113 

§  29.  Review  of  Chapters  V  and  VI 
,  The  suggestions  for  map-work  in  this  review  com- 
bine both  the  locating  of  events  and  the  scenes  of 
these  events.  It  may  be  well  briefly  to  review  the 
connected  story  of  the  two  chapters  with  the  class 
first,  then  to  have  them  answer  these  questions. 

The  remaining  questions  have  as  their  purpose  to 
bring  out  the  practical  meaning  and  application  of 
the  various  incidents  studied.  The  answers  should 
be  brief;  e.  g.,  "What  was  Jesus'  attitude  toward 
men  of  other  nations  than  his  own?"  Answer: 
Friendly,  ready  to  help,  shown  by  his  response  to  the 
request  oj  the  centurion.  The  teacher  may  call  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  this  was  unusual  for  a  Jew.  So 
with  the  other  questions:  God's  feeling  toward  the 
penitent,  §21;  Jesus'  power  over  human  passion, 
§  23 ;  the  foundation  of  the  church  and  of  Christian 
character,  §24;  the  cost  of  service,  §  25;  its  worth, 
§  26;  the  measure  of  rank  in  God's  sight,  §  27;  the 
Christian  conduct  toward  wrong-doers,  §  28.  The 
teacher  should  be  careful  to  avoid  unduly  influ- 
encing these  answers.  Especially  let  the  answer  as 
to  the  worth  of  Christ's  service  represent  the  honest 
opinion  of  the  pupil.  If  an  answer  is  given  that 
seems  stereotyped;  or  to  reflect,  not  the  real  thought 
of  the  pupil,  but  what  he  thinks  is  expected  of  him, 
take  the  earliest  possible  opportunity  to  talk  with 
him  alone  and  lead  him  to  an  honest  expression  on 
the  subject. 


114  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

The  final  question  should  lead  to  a  still  more  prac- 
tical application  of  the  teachings  of  the  chapters  to 
the  life  of  the  individual  pupil.  Here  it  is  abso- 
lutely essential  that  the  teacher  should  keep  "hands 
off. "  A  suggestion  as  to  the  kind  of  a  rule  intended 
is  given  in  the  "Suggestions  to  the  Pupil,"  Part  II 
of  the  Pupil's  Note  Book. 

With  this  hint,  the  pupil  should  be  left  to  formu- 
late his  own  rules.  No  further  help  should  be  given 
except  in  the  way  of  indirect  suggestion.  However 
crude  his  own  rules  may  appear,  they  will  be  his 
own  and  will  have  value,  while  rules  formulated  for 
him  will  be  comparatively  valueless. 


CHAPTER  VII 

LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS  OF  JESUS 
§  30.     The  Story  of  the  Good  Samaritan 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  10:25-37. 

References  for  study. — Edersheim,  Life  and  Times 
of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap,  xv;  Bird, 
Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  247-50;  Geikie, 
Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  li,  first  part;  Farrar, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap.  xlvi. 

Illustrative  material. — Scene  of  the  Good  Samari- 
tan story  (Wilde  no.  211);  "On  the  Road  to  Jeri- 
cho" (Underwood  ster.  no.  3205);  "Bedouin  Rob- 
bers" (Underwood  ster.  no.  3318);  "The  Good  Sa- 
maritan, "  Dord  (Wilde  no.  100) ;  Henner  (Perry  no. 
583);  Plockhorst  (Wilde  no.  466). 

Explanatory  notes. — The  lawyer  was  one  of  the 
scribes.  "  Tempted  " :  i.e.,  tested,  made  trial  of  him, 
not  necessarily  with  any  evil  purpose.  The  road 
where  the  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  is  still  infested 
with  robbers,  a  group  of  whom  is  shown  in  one  of  the 
stereographs  referred  to  under  "Illustrative  mate- 
rial. "  In  dealing  with  this  lawyer,  Jesus  meets  him 
on  his  own  ground:  "What  is  written  in  the  law?" 
and  leads  him  to  answer  his  own  question.  The  law- 
yer's reply  combines  quotations  from  Deut.  6 : 9  and 
Lev.  19:18.  Such  combination  was  in  accord  with 
Jesus'  own  thought  (see  Matt.  22:39).  Note  that 
"5 


u6  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

the  story  is  to  illustrate  the  meaning  of  "neighbor," 
and  also  in  answer  to  the  lawyer's  original  question : 
"What  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life?"  Here, 
then,  we  have  Jesus'  own  statement  of  what  kind  of 
life  it  is  that  is  eternal.  It  is  a  life  governed  by 
supreme,  sincere  love  to  God,  realized  and  expressed 
through  love  to  one's  fellow-men.  Such  love  will 
find  expression  in  deeds  of  service  wherever  need 
may  be. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — We  have  here  an  ideal 
for  life  and  the  means  for  realizing  it.  The  lesson  is 
one  of  great  importance,  giving,  as  it  does,  Jesus'  re- 
ply to  the  vital  question:  "What  shall  I  do  to  inherit 
eternal  life  ?"  or,  "What  must  one  do  to  be  saved  ?" 
The  incident  itself  suggests  the  best  method  of  treat- 
ment. Develop  the  story  so  as  to  lead  the  pupil 
through  the  lawyer's  experience  of  inquiry  to  the  final 
answer. 

Read  Matt.  19:1-2;  8:18-22;  and  Luke  9:51,  to 
get  the  setting.  Jesus  was  going  up  to  Jerusalem 
on  his  last  journey,  teaching  as  he  went  and  answer- 
ing all  kinds  of  questions.  Among  those  who  came 
was  this  lawyer  or  scribe.  What  was  his  question  ? 
What  did  it  mean  ?  Let  the  pupil  at  this  point  give 
his  own  idea  of  what  "eternal  life"  means,  without 
comment  or  correction.  Many  will  undoubtedly 
give  such  replies  as  "going  to  heaven,"  "living  for- 
ever, "  etc.  Let  the  story  bring  its  own  modification 
of  these  views,  as  it  did  to  the  lawyer. 


JESUS'  LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS  117 

Note  how  Jesus  gets  the  lawyer  to  answer  his  own 
question,  as  far  as  possible.  Let  the  pupil  look  up 
the  Old  Testament  references  from  which  he  quoted. 
Sincere  love  to  God  is  the  ideal.  What  kind  of 
thoughts  and  deeds  will  such  love  inspire?  To 
whom  shall  the  deeds  be  done  ?  This  leads  to  the 
other  part  of  the  answer.  Jesus,  too,  regarded  love  to 
God  and  love  to  one's  fellow-men  as  of  equal  value 
(Matt.  22 : 39).  It  is  through  love  and  service  of  men 
that  we  show  our  love  for  God  (Matt.  25 : 40).  Note 
the  lawyer's  attempt  to  shift  responsibility  and  in- 
dulge in  the  rabbinical  habit  of  quibbling  and  arguing. 

The  Jews  did  not  regard  those  outside  of  their 
own  nation  as  particularly  deserving  of  considera- 
tion. Among  primitive  peoples  a  stranger  was 
looked  upon  as  an  enemy.  It  would  seem  as  if  we 
shared  this  feeling  at  times,  judging  from  our  treat- 
ment of  foreigners.  I  have  seen  boys  throwing 
stones  at  peddlers  and  calling  them  "dagoes,"  etc., 
for  no  other  reason  than  that  they  were  foreigners. 
Jesus'  story  hits  this  point.  Tell  the  story  or  let  the 
pupil  tell  it,  but  be  sure  to  bring  out  its  points  clearly. 
We  infer  that  the  wounded  man  was  a  Jew.  Who 
passed  him  by  ?  Why  might  we  have  expected  bet- 
ter things  of  them  ?  Who  helped  him  ?  Why  was 
this  surprising  ?  (John  4:9.)  Who  was  really  neigh- 
bor to  the  wounded  man  ?  Which  of  the  three  prob- 
ably lived  nearest  to  him  ?  Does  neighborliness  con- 
sist merely  in  living  near  one  ?  May  one  live  next 


Il8  THELlFEOFjESUS 

door  to  you  and  yet  not  be  a  neighbor  in  Christ's 
sense  of  the  word  ?  Note  the  double  meaning.  The 
Samaritan  was  neighbor  to  the  wounded  man  because 
he  helped  him.  The  wounded  man  was  neighbor  to 
the  Samaritan  because  he  needed  help. 

By  way  of  summary  take  the  three  closing  ques- 
tions, which  will  involve  the  repetition  and  probably 
the  modification  of  the  pupil's  first  answer  about 
eternal  life.  How  may  we  find  eternal  life?  By 
loving  God  sincerely.  How  can  we  show  our  love  to 
God?  By  loving  and  serving  those  who  need  our 
love,  and  that  means  all  men.  (I  John  4 : 8,  20;  5:2.) 
Notice  that  this  means  more  than  just  charity, 
giving  to  the  poor,  etc.  Many  people  give  to  the 
poor  who  do  not  show  real  love  to  their  fellow-men. 
People  need  justice  and  kindness  often  more  than 
charity.  Mother  needs  help  at  home.  Teacher 
needs  attentive  help  at  school.  Playmates  need 
good-nature  and  fairness  in  play.  Who  are  our 
neighbors  ?  All  who  need  our  love. 

Leigh  Hunt's  poem,  given  in  the  Pupil's  Note 
Book,  will  help  to  clinch  the  thought  of  this  lesson  in 
a  beautiful  way.  It  is  a  good  one  to  memorize. 

Do  not  fail  to  give  a  practical  turn  to  this  lesson, 
either  by  suggesting  some  definite  act  of  helpfulness 
in  which  the  class  may  engage,  or  by  asking  each 
member  of  the  class  to  report  how  many  new  neigh- 
bors he  can  discover  during  the  week.  The  lesson 
might  issue  in  the  formation  of  a  "  Neighborly  Club  " 


JESUS'  LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS  119 

for  the  purpose  of  developing  the  spirit  of  Christian 
neighborliness.  If  the  class  have  already  been 
formed  into  a  band  of  " Knights  of  King  Arthur," 
here  is  a  new  content  for  their  mission. 

Home  work. — Read  the  story  in  Luke  10:25-37. 
Learn  vs.  27  and  Leigh  Hunt's  poem,  "Abou  Ben 
Adhem." 

§31.     The  Story  of  the  Prodigal  Son 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  15:11-32. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Ma  thews,  Life 
of  Christ,  par.  238,  pp.  197,  198;  Edersheim,  Life 
and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap,  xvii ; 
Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  283-86; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  liii ;  Farrar, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap.  xliv. 

Illustrative  material. — Pictures  of  the  Prodigal  Son 
by  Dore*  (Wilde  no.  104);  Creuze  (Perry  no.  472)-, 
Molitor  (Brown  no.  96,  Perry  no.  uoo,  Wilde  no. 
105);  Dubufe  (Brown  no.  1843,  Wilde  no.  106). 

Explanatory  notes.— "The  three  parables  con- 
tained in  this  chapter  have  one  teaching  in  common : 
God  rejoices  at  the  repentance  of  any  man,  be  he 
never  so  humble  or  depraved.  The  occasion  of  the 
teaching  is  given  by  Luke  in  vss.  i,  2."  (Burton 
and  Mathews.) 

The  request  of  a  son  that  his  father  divide  his 
property  before  death  was  not  quite  so  striking  as  it 
would  be  in  our  time  and  land.  It  was  the  custom 


120  THELlFEOFjESUS 

for  an  aged  father  so  to  divide  his  property  before  his 
death.  The  younger  son  here  asks  that  he  antici- 
pate this  act.  The  "husks"  which  he  eats,  in  the 
depth  of  his  degradation  and  misery,  were  the  pods 
of  the  carob  tree.  The  son  himself  had  to  take  the 
first  step  out  of  this  pitiable  condition.  The  father 
could  not  find  him,  but  he  could  return.  Note  the 
contrast  between  that  father's  joyful  welcome  and 
the  elder  brother's  envious  behavior,  like  that  of  the 
selfish  and  self-conceited  Pharisees. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — As  is  the  case  with  most 
of  the  parables  of  Jesus,  the  best  method  of  treatment 
here  is  to  bring  out  the  circumstances  under  which 
it  was  told  and  then  let  the  story  do  its  work.  The 
circumstances  are  given  in  the  first  two  verses  of  the 
chapter.  Cf .  also  John  7 : 49  as  showing  the  general 
attitude  of  the  Pharisees.  Recall  also  the  objections 
that  were  raised  when  Jesus  chose  Matthew  to  be  his 
disciple.  Now  tell  the  story,  having  given  it  suffi- 
cient thought  to  be  able  to  bring  out  its  details  with 
vividness  and  interest.  Imagine  the  interest  with 
which  that  group  of  people  about  Jesus  must  have 
listened  to  this  story,  so  full  of  human  sympathy  and 
tenderness.  Imagine  too  the  faces  of  the  Pharisees 
who  had  been  finding  fault  with  him,  as  he  painted 
that  closing  picture  of  the  envious  and  selfish  elder 
brother,  wherein  they  saw  their  own  portrait.  But 
the  center  of  it  all  is  the  loving  welcome  of  the  father 
and  his  joy  over  his  repentant  boy. 


JESUS'  LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS  121 

This  is  one  of  those  stories  that  may  easily  be 
spoiled  by  too  much  moralizing.  Its  meaning  is  so 
plain  and  its  appeal  to  the  heart  is  so  direct  that  it 
had  better  be  left  to  do  its  own  work,  rather  than  to 
have  the  point  dulled  by  overmuch  application.  Let 
the  teacher  devote  every  possible  energy  and  thought 
to  the  task  of  setting  the  story  forth  in  its  beauty 
and  simplicity,  and  the  effect  will  be  best. 

Home  work. — Read  the  story  in  Luke  15:11-32. 
Leam  Luke  15:10. 

§  32.     Blessing  Little  Children 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  10:13-16. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  par.  256,  p.  209;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap,  xxii,  4; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  liv;  Bird, 
Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  305-8;  Farrar, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap.  xlvi. 

Illustrative  material. — Kirchbach's  "Jesus  the 
Children's  Friend"  is  furnished  with  this  section. 
Others  appropriate  are  by  Hofmann  (Brown  no. 
1014,  Perry  no.  ygyL,  Wilde  no.  109) ;  Plockhorst 
(Brown  no.  199,  Perry  no.  807,  Wilde  no.  no); 
Voegel  (Brown  no.  1069,  Wilde  no.  in);  "Suffer 
little  children  to  come  unto  me,"  the  English  Mis- 
sion, Nablus  (Underwood  ster.  no.  3337). 

Explanatory  notes.— The  word  "children"  might 
include  those  up  to  twelve  years  of  age  or  even  be- 


122  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

yond.  Here  again  Jesus  indicates  that  the  traits  of 
childlike  receptivity,  open-mindedness,  and  trust  be- 
long to  those  of  whom  the  kingdom  of  God  is  com- 
posed. The  scene  is  very  simple  and  very  beautiful. 
Bird's  account  of  it  is  sympathetic  and  helpful. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — This  is  another  of  the 
incidents  in  the  life  of  Jesus  that  call  not  so  much  for 
explanation  as  for  simple  presentation.  It  illus- 
trates the  high  value  placed  by  Jesus  upon  the  child- 
like traits  of  character  as  brought  out  in  §  27.  Re- 
calling the  circumstances  under  which  Jesus  was  then 
working,  we  can  imagine  the  comfort  and  joy  he 
must  have  found  in  this  tribute  of  pure  love  on  the 
part  of  these  mothers  and  their  children.  Notice 
that  he  did  not  preach  to  the  children;  he  just  re- 
ceived them  with  open  arms  and  heartfelt  love. 
Compare  the  other  incident  referred  to  (Mark  9 : 36, 
37 ;  Matt.  18: 2-5) ;  and  the  words  of  John  in  I  John 
2:12,  13;  3:18.  Jesus  evidently  loved  to  have  the 
children  with  him,  and,  as  love  calls  out  love,  the 
children  loved  to  be  with  him.  John  cautions  those 
to  whom  he  writes  to  make  this  love  sincere,  "in  deed 
and  truth,"  not  mere  lip-service,  and  Jesus  himself 
indicates  how  true  love  will  be  shown  (John  14: 
15,  21).  Connect  these  thoughts  with  the  lesson 
taught  by  the  Good  Samaritan  story,  that  love  to 
God  is  shown  by  love  to  one's  neighbor.  And  as 
love  to  God  is  manifested  by  deeds,  so  love  to  one's 
neighbor  will  be.  And  surely  our  nearest  neighbors 


JESUS'  LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS    123 

are  those  in  our  own  home.  The  child  that  best 
loves  father  and  mother  is  one  who  not  only  says  so, 
but  acts  so,  showing  love  by  loving  obedience  in 
little  things,  day  by  day. 

Home  work. — Learn  the  story  as  told  in  Mark  10: 
13-16. 

§33.     The  Rich  Young  Ruler 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  10: 17-31. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  par.  257,  pp.  209,  210;  Edersheim,  Life 
and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap, 
xxiii;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  liv; 
Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xlvi;  Bird,  Jesus  the 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  308-11. 

Illustrative  material. — "Jesus  and  the  Rich  Young 
Ruler,"  Hofmann  (Brown  no.  186,  Perry  no.  802, 
Wilde  no.  112). 

Explanatory  notes. — "What  shall  I  do  to  inherit 
eternal  life  ? "  The  young  man  had  an  idea  that 
eternal  life  was  something  to  be  looked  forward  to 
and  won  all  at  once,  so  to  speak,  by  some  particu- 
larly meritorious  deed.  The  idea  is  common  enough 
even  yet.  Jesus  tries  to  show  him  that  eternal  life  is 
a  life  of  loving  service  here  and  now.  Compare  his 
answer  to  the  lawyer's  question  (§30).  Note  the 
clear  explanation  of  Jesus'  words,  "Why  callest  thou 
me  good  ?  There  is  none  good  save  one,  even  God, n 
given  by  Burton  and  Mathews  (p.  209).  This  ruler 


124  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

came  to  Jesus  as  a  teacher  of  morality,  seeking  some 
new  rule  or  recipe  by  which  he  could  attain  to  a 
certain  ideal  that  he  had  conceived.  Jesus  wishes 
to  center  his  attention  upon  God  as  the  source,  not 
so  much  of  rules  for  living  as  of  the  principle  of  good- 
ness. The  object  of  Jesus'  life  and  teaching  was  to 
reveal  God's  goodness  and  influence  men  thereby. 
Jesus  here  again  takes  the  questioner  on  his  own 
ground  and  leads  him  to  the  answer  to  his  question 
from  what  he  already  knows.  The  answer  shows 
that  the  young  man  had  been  trying  to  live  up  to  the 
best  light  he  had,  but  without  finding  satisfaction. 
Now  Jesus  reveals  to  him  what  he  really  needs:  not 
more  rules,  but  to  yield  himself  completely  to  that 
inner  impulse  to  goodness.  He  was  to  put  God  first. 
Vss.  23-31  are  suggested  by  this  incident  and  are  a 
comment  upon  it.  Jesus  makes  clear  the  fact  that 
self-sacrifice  in  God's  service  brings  the  highest  re- 
wards. Cf.  the  Beatitudes. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  thought  of  this  in- 
cident is  really  that  of  the  Good  Samaritan  story 
expressed  in  a  different  way.  Let  the  teacher  master 
the  details  of  the  incident  so  as  to  be  able  to  present 
it  vividly.  Jesus  and  his  disciples  are  setting  forth 
upon  their  journey.  Here  comes  a  young  ruler,  or 
scribe.  He  is  wealthy,  as  seen  by  his  clothing  and 
general  appearance.  His  face  shows  that  he  is 
earnest  and  high-minded.  In  spite  of  his  wealth,  he 
is  not  entirely  happy,  for  he  has  not  reached  his  ideal 


JESUS'  LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS  125 

of  life.  He  kneels  before  Jesus  to  show  his  respect 
for  the  teacher.  What  is  it  he  wants?  Jesus  re- 
minds him  of  the  commandments  which  he  has 
known  from  a  boy.  The  young  man  knows  these 
and  has  kept  them,  but  still  he  is  not  satisfied. 
Something  tells  him  that  just  keeping  the  command- 
ments is  not  enough.  And  Jesus  knows  what  he 
really  needs:  to  give  himself  up  completely  to  the 
generous  impulse  of  love  that  is  striving  within  him. 
The  young  man  wanted  to  live  a  right  life,  but  he  did 
not  care  quite  enough  for  it  to  give  up  his  own  selfish 
desires,  and  so  he  went  away  and  was  still  sorrowful. 
Recall  the  answer  to  this  same  question  when  the 
lawyer  asked  it.  Eternal  life  is  found  in  sincere  and 
whole-hearted  love  to  God  and  one's  fellow-men. 
What  does  this  incident  add  by  way  of  comment  or 
explanation?  How  is  it  like  that  former  answer? 
How  may  possessions  interfere  with  such  love  to  God 
and  one's  neighbor?  Now  note  how  Jesus  com- 
mented upon  this  incident  in  vss.  23-31.  Is  it  true 
that  self-sacrifice  in  God's  kingdom  will  bring  greater 
rewards?  How  does  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
express  this  idea  ?  (Matt.  6:33.)  What  is  the  real 
reward  of  such  service  ?  Recall  the  Transfiguration 
thought  (§  26).  Bring  out  by  questions  the  fact  that 
happiness  is  found  only  when  one  has  a  clear  con- 
science. 

Home  work. — Read  the  story  in  Mark  10:17-31. 
Learn  Matt.  6:33. 


126  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

§  34.     Blind  Bartimaeus 
Scripture  narrative. — Mark  10 : 46-5  2 ;    Luke  1 8 : 

35-43- 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  par.  261,  pp.  212,  213;  Edersheim,  Life 
and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap, 
xxiv;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp. 
326-30;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap. 
11  v;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xlviii. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  Jericho  from 
the  plains  is  furnished  with  this  section.  Other 
views  of  Jericho  and  its  surroundings  are  Wilde 
nos.  209,  211,  and  Underwood  ster.  nos.  3128, 

3205- 

Explanatory  notes. — This  incident  occurred,  ac- 
cording to  Luke,  as  Jesus  and  his  party  approach 
Jericho,  in  the  Jordan  valley,  five  or  six  miles  north  of 
the  Dead  Sea.  Mark  and  Matthew  give  it  as  taking 
place  after  they  left  the  city.  Most  of  the  references 
given  follow  Mark's  order,  but  the  point  is  immate- 
rial. We  take  it  in  the  order  given  in  the  harmony. 
The  difference  in  Matthew's  account,  mentioning 
two  beggars  in  place  of  one,  is  also  immaterial.  Very 
probably  there  were  more,  but  Mark  mentions  Bar- 
timaeus by  name.  Note  the  form  of  address  which 
Bartimaeus  uses:  "Jesus,  thou  son  of  David" — a 
messianic  title.  This  indicates  what  his  thoughts 
had  been  as  he  heard  of  the  works  of  Jesus ;  also  the 
ground  of  his  hope.  Compare  the  answer  which 


JESUS'  LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS  127 

Jesus  sent  to  John  when  he  inquired  as  to  Jesus' 
claims  to  messianic  standing  (Luke  7:20-2). 

Suggestions  for  teaching.— This  is  another  of  the 
incidents  illustrating  Jesus'  readiness  to  respond  to 
those  in  need,  as  contrasted  with  the  impatience  of 
many  who  would  rebuke  the  importunate.  Remem- 
ber that  Jesus  and  his  disciples  were  on  their  way  to 
Jerusalem,  and  for  what  end  (Mark  10:32-34). 
Jesus  might  well  have  been  intent  upon  his  own  pur- 
poses without  heeding  others.  But  not  so.  Locate 
Jericho  on  the  map  and  see  how  near  their  journey's 
end  they  were.  What  historical  associations  may 
have  come  to  Jesus'  mind  as  they  drew  near  this  city  ? 
(Josh.  3:14-17;  6: 1-2 1.) 

The  presence  of  beggars  about  the  walls  of  an  ori- 
ental city  was,  and  still  is,  a  common  sight.  Among 
the  number  on  this  occasion  was  one  who  had  evi- 
dently heard  of  Jesus'  power  and  kindness,  and  he  at 
once  sought  help.  Note  the  contrast  between  the 
unsympathetic  attitude  of  those  about  him,  and  the 
sympathetic  way  in  which  Jesus  received  him.  Com- 
pare the  way  in  which  the  disciples  rebuked  those 
who  brought  the  little  children  to  Jesus  and  the  way 
in  which  Jesus  received  them. 

This  man  was  healed  of  blindness.  Are  people  blind 
in  other  ways  than  this  ?  Recall  the  old  proverb : 
"  There  is  none  so  blind  as  he  who  will  not  see. "  Can 
Jesus  help  to  cure  this  kind  of  blindness  ?  How  may 
one  thus  healed  today  show  his  appreciation  of  it  ? 


ia8  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Homework. — Read  the  story  in  Mark  10:46-52 
or  Luke  18:35-43.  Read  Longfellow's  poem, 
"  Blind  Bartimaeus." 

§35.     The    Visit  to  Zacchaeus 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  19:1-10. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  p.  215;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  IV,  chap,  xxiv;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  319-22;  Gcikie,  Life 
and  Words  of  Christ,  chap,  liv,  last  part;  Farrar, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xlviii. 

Illustrative  material. — See  the  pictures  referred  to 
under  preceding  section. 

Explanatory  notes. — Jericho,  see  notes  on  preced- 
ing section.  A  chief  publican  was  not  a  tax  collector, 
but  one  who  sold  to  others  the  right  to  collect  for 
certain  districts  or  articles.  The  sycamore  tree  is  the 
fig-mulberry,  a  short,  spreading  tree  common  in  Pal- 
estine. Jesus'  suggestion  of  going  to  the  house  of  a 
publican  would  have  shocked  the  ordinary  rabbi,  as 
it  evidently  did  here.  But  it  won  Zacchaeus.  Zac- 
chaeus' words  are  not  a  statement  of  what  had  been 
his  custom,  but  a  solemn  promise  for  the  future. 
His  heart  won  by  Jesus'  treatment  of  him,  he  prom- 
ises that  for  the  future  his  conduct  toward  the  poor 
and  toward  all  men  shall  be  just  and  generous. 
Compare  with  this  the  Old  Testament  rule  in  such 
cases  (Exod.  22:1,  4,  7;  II  Sam.  12:6).  "He  also 


JESUS'  LATER  WORDS  AND  WORKS  129 

is  a  son  of  Abraham" :  Jesus  gives  to  Zacchaeus  the 
rights  of  one  of  God's  chosen  people,  even  though  he 
was  despised  by  his  neighbors.  Jesus  regarded  men 
as  men,  not  as  conditioned  by  rank  or  class. 

Suggestions  for  teaching.— The  incident  follows 
immediately  upon  that  of  the  last  section.  It  shows 
the  desire  of  a  soul  to  find  the  truth  and  God's  readi- 
ness to  meet  such  inquiry.  A  point  of  contact  may 
be  found  for  the  story  in  the  experience  of  almost  any 
child  in  trying  to  see  a  procession  or  some  other  sight, 
finding  his  way  blocked  by  the  crowd  of  older  and 
larger  people  in  front,  and  finally  climbing  a  lamp- 
post or  other  high  place  where  he  can  see.  This  is 
exactly  like  what  happened  here.  Picture  the  crowd 
following  Jesus  and  pressing  about  him  to  hear  and 
see  him.  Zacchaeus  was  short;  moreover,  he  was 
unpopular;  and  the  people  probably  did  not  put 
themselves  out  any  to  let  him  through.  So  he  finds 
a  tree  and  climbs  up  into  it.  What  made  Jesus  no- 
tice him  ?  Did  he  just  happen  to  see  him,  and  did 
he  see  some  expression  on  Zacchaeus'  face  that 
showed  the  soul  underneath  ?  Or  did  someone  point 
him  out,  scornfully  perhaps  ?  Or  had  Jesus  noticed 
his  eager  attempts  to  get  through  the  crowd  ?  What- 
ever the  cause  may  have  been,  we  see  that  Jesus  was 
attentive  and  that  he  met  the  seeking  soul  with  sym- 
pathy. Imagine  the  surprise  and  joy  of  Zacchaeus 
at  the  unexpected  honor  bestowed  on  him,  and  see 
how  his  own  soul  went  out  in  response  to  this  gra- 


130  THELlFEOFjESUS 

cious  and  loving  sympathy.  How  did  he  show  the 
sincerity  of  his  devotion  ?  What  is  the  first  step  if 
one  wants  to  turn  from  a  worse  life  to  a  better  one  ? 
Home  work. — Read  the  story  in  Luke  19:1-10. 
Learn  the  last  verse. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH 
§36.     Palm  Sunday 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  11:1-11;  Matt.  21: 
i-u;  Luke  19:29-40;  John  12:12-19. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  219-22;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  V,  chap,  i;  Bird,  Jesus  the 
Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  330-35;  Geikie,  Life  and 
Words  of  Christ,  chap.  Iv;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ, 
chap,  xlix;  Phelps,  Story  of  Jesus  Christ,  pp.  302- 
ii ;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xxiv;  Rhees,  Life 
of  Jesus,  pp.  169-71. 

Illustrative  material. — The  picture  of  the  Garden 
of  Gethsemane  (Wilde  no.  232)  shows  the  Mount  of 
Olives  and  the  roads  leading  over  it,  by  one  of  which 
Jesus  probably  came  into  the  city.  Plockhorst's 
"  Entry  into  Jerusalem"  (Perry  no.  814)  is  furnished 
with  the  section.  Deger's  "Triumphal  Entry"  is 
also  good  (Wilde  no.  123). 

Explanatory  notes. — Bethany,  the  home  of  Mary 
and  Martha,  was  a  little  town  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives  about  two  miles  from  Jerusalem.  It  is  now 
known  as  El  Azarlyeh.  Bethphage  has  never  been 
definitely  located,  but  was  near  Bethany.  The  pur- 
pose of  Jesus  in  choosing  this  particular  method  of 


132  THELlFEOFjESUS 

entering  the  city  may  be  inferred  from  Matt.  21 14,  5, 
and  John  12:15.  Mark  adds  to  "the  Lord  hath 
need  of  him "  the  further  promise  that  the  colt  shall 
be  returned  promptly.  This  act  constituted  an  en- 
trance in  state,  but  the  choice  of  an  ass  instead  of  a 
horse  symbolized  the  peaceful  nature  of  his  kingdom. 
Matthew  connects  it  with  the  prophecies  from  Isa. 
62:  ii  and  Zech.  9:9,  the  latter  of  which  particularly 
was  regarded  as  messianic.  Jesus  himself  also  un- 
doubtedly intended  this  to  be  a  dramatic  announce- 
ment of  his  messianic  claims.  He  accepts  and  even 
confirms  the  messianic  acclaim  of  the  people  (Luke 
19:39,  40).  "Even  the  stones  would  cry  out,"  is 
simply  a  proverbial  expression  of  the  impossibility  of 
checking  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people.  Luke  19: 
41-44. 

Introduce  a  remarkable  forecast  of  the  misery  to  result  from 
the  Jews'  choice  of  war  instead  of  the  peace  offered  by  Jesus. 
The  two  possible  messianic  programs  are  thus  brought  into 
sharpest  contrast,  that  of  Jesus  and  that  of  the  Zealots.  The 
Jewish  people  preferred  the  latter,  and  Jesus,  foreseeing  the 
outcome  of  war  with  Rome,  and  knowing  that  his  own  peaceful 
kingdom  was  certain  to  triumph,  laments  the  refusal  of  the 
Jewish  people  to  share  in  it.  His  tears  are  a  testimony  to  his 
love  of  his  people  and  to  his  determination  not  to  let  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  moment  sweep  them  into  a  compromise 
with  the  current  political  messianism.  He  was  the  Christ 
but  he  would  not  be  the  Christ  the  Jews  wanted.  Burton  and 
Mathews,  p.  221;  cf.  Luke  12:54 — 13:9.) 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  object  of  this  sec- 
tion is  to  bring  out  as  clearly  as  possible  the  enthusi- 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  133 

astic  reception  given  by  the  people  to  the  one  who 
had  done  so  much  for  them,  which  affords  a  strong 
contrast  to  the  treatment  that,  under  the  guidance  of 
their  leaders,  they  were  soon  to  show  him.  Let  the 
story  therefore  be  told  with  as  much  detail  and  action 
as  possible,  filling  in  such  points  as  imagination  may 
readily  supply.  This  being  the  Passover  festival, 
when  pilgrims  were  coming  up  to  Jerusalem  from  all 
over  the  land,  it  needs  no  great  stretch  of  imagination 
to  suppose  that  many  of  those  whom  Jesus  had 
helped,  such  as  Blind  Bartimaeus,  and  Lazarus,  and 
Mary  and  Martha  and  Zacchaeus,  may  have  been 
among  the  throng  that  accompanied  Jesus.  Let  the 
pupil  fill  out  the  blanks  to  complete  the  story  out- 
lined in  the  Pupil's  Note  Book.  Try  to  have  this 
section  make  its  own  impression  of  love  and  loyalty, 
enthusiastically  expressed. 

Home  work. — Read  Luke  19 : 29-40.  Learn  Matt. 
21:9  and  the  hymn  "When  his  salvation  bringing." 

5  37.     The  Last  Supper 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  14:12-26;  Matt.  26: 
17-30;  Luke  22:7-30;  John,  chaps.  13-17. 

References  for  study.— Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  chap,  xxxiii,  pp.  243-56 ;  Edersheim,  Life 
and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  V,  chaps,  ix, 
x;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  386- 
412;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chaps.  Iviii, 
lix;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  chaps.  Iv,  Ivi;  Dawson, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xxvii. 


134  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

Illustrative  material. — Pictures  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per by  Hofmann  (Brown  no.  1742,  Perry  no.  79yT, 
Wilde  no.  130);  Da  Vinci  (Brown  no.  169,  Perry 
no.  280,  Wilde  no.  131);  Bida  (Brown  no.  702,  Perry 
no.  3273,  Wilde  no.  132). 

Explanatory  notes. — "The  first  day  of  unleavened 
bread  "  was  the  fourteenth  of  the  month  Nisan  (Ex. 
12:6;  Lev.  23:5;  Num.  9:  3).  The  Passover  was  a 
family  feast,  and  such  a  company  as  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  would  naturally  eat  it  together.  Hence  the 
preparations  mentioned.  Jesus  would  have  selected 
a  lamb  in  advance  (Ex.  12:3)  and  probably  had 
made  some  arrangement  for  the  room  at  the  same 
time.  Very  likely  a  signal  had  been  agreed  upon 
beforehand — the  bearing  of  a  pitcher  of  water,  unu- 
sual for  a  man — so  that  the  place  of  the  feast  might  be 
selected  and  the  supper  itself  prepared  without  op- 
portunity for  Judas  to  disclose  it  to  the  priests. 

The  Harmony  should  be  consulted  with  reference 
to  the  order  of  events  at  the  Last  Supper.  After 
Mark  14:17  come  the  events  of  Luke  22:14-18  and 
John  13:1-20.  The  strife  as  to  precedence  (Luke 
22:24-30)  probably  came  before  the  symbolic  lesson 
of  washing  the  disciple's  feet.  For  a  full  discussion 
of  the  chronology,  the  order  of  the  Passover  Feast, 
and  its  relation  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  see  Burton  and 
Mathews,  pp.  244-49. 

"The  new  covenant"  (Jer.  31:31-34),  a  covenant 
between  God  and  his  people,  they  pledging  them- 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  135 

selves  to  obedience,  and  he  giving  to  them  his  life 
and  power.  The  old  blood- covenant  of  Ex.  24:5-8, 
in  which  the  blood,  as  the  symbol  of  life,  was  sprin- 
kled on  the  book  of  the  law  and  on  the  people,  typi- 
fying the  covenant  between  God  and  the  people,  was, 
in  the  thought  of  Jesus,  superseded  by  the  new  cove- 
nant sealed  by  his  gift  of  his  own  life  in  behalf  of 
men. 

Jesus  shedding  his  blood  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  God 
and  in  devotion  to  the  interests  of  men,  brings  men,  through 
the  adoption  of  the  same  principle  of  life,  through  the  same 
devotion  of  their  lives  to  God,  into  fellowship  with  God 
(Burton  and  Mathews). 

Jesus'  statement  that  he  would  no  more  drink  of  the 
wine  until  the  day  of  the  kingdom  indicates  his 
certainty  of  immediate  death  and  equal  certainty 
of  an  ultimate  triumph  of  his  kingdom. 

Beyond  this  the  interpreter  cannot  go  with  certainty.  That 
which  stands  out  clearly  in  respect  to  this  memorial  meal  is 
that  Jesus  regarded  his  death  as  suffered  in  behalf  of  his 
disciples  and  as  a  basis  of  fellowship  between  them  and  God; 
and  he  wished  that,  as  they  maintained  the  fraternity  of  the 
kingdom,  they  should  in  their  food  and  drink  remember  him, 
believe  him  still  present  with  them,  and  see  that  their  privi- 
leges as  members  of  the  kingdom  of  God  were  due,  at  least  in 
part,  to  his  death.  (Burton  and  Mathews.) 

Dawson  suggests  that  some  of  the  discourses  given 
by  John  as  coming  after  the  supper  may  have  been 
uttered  at  Bethany  on  Wednesday,  the  day  for  which 
we  have  no  record.  In  either  case  they  are  imme- 


136  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

diately  associated  with  the  approaching  separation 
and  are  full  of  the  spirit  of  loving  fellowship. 

Suggestions  jor  teaching. — The  section  reveals  a 
picture  of  the  most  loving  and  tender  fellowship 
which  lends  strength  and  impressiveness  to  the  les- 
sons taught  and  makes  the  marring  incidents  stand 
out  in  unlovely  contrast.  Study  carefully  the  events 
in  their  order  as  given  in  the  Harmony,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  tell  the  story  connectedly  and  vividly.  The 
references  in  Dawson  and  Bird  will  be  found  very 
helpful  in  this  connection.  Picture  the  circum- 
stances, the  certain  apprehension  of  calamity  and 
separation,  the  anxiety  which  Jesus  must  have  felt 
for  his  disciples  in  the  troublous  days  to  follow,  the 
premonitions  of  evil  which  must  have  come  to  their 
own  minds,  all  of  which  must  have  served  to  draw 
them  even  more  closely  together  at  this  time.  Note 
the  appropriateness  of  the  lesson  taught  by  washing 
the  disciples'  feet.  It  was  not  gotten  up  for  the  sake 
of  teaching  this  lesson,  but  was  suggested  by  the  cir- 
cumstances. In  their  contention  over  the  order  of 
seats  at  the  table,  the  disciples  had  neglected  what 
would  have  been  a  true  mark  of  nobility,  the  courtesy 
due  at  least  to  their  Master,  if  not  to  one  another. 
Some  one  of  them,  in  the  absence  of  a  servant,  should 
have  shown  him  the  attention  of  bathing  his  feet, 
dusty  from  the  road.  So  he  quietly  did  for  them  what 
they  should  have  done  for  him. 

Review  what  the  pupils  have  learned  about  the 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  137 

Passover  (§  7),  and  describe  it  a  little  more  fully. 
The  reference  in  Burton  and  Mathews  (p.  7)  will 
help  here.  Note  also  the  institution  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  as  described  by  Mark  14:22-25,  and  its 
meaning  as  indicated  in  the  "Explanatory  notes." 
The  spiritual  significance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is 
most  beautifully  illustrated  by  Lowell  in  "The  Vis- 
ion of  Sir  Launfal. "  The  poem  is  based  upon  an- 
other of  the  Knights  of  King  Arthur  stories — that  of 
the  Holy  Grail.  This  was  the  cup  which  Jesus  him- 
self used  at  the  Supper.  According  to  the  legend, 
Joseph  of  Arimathaea  caught  in  this  cup  some  of  the 
blood  of  Christ.  He  then  brought  it  to  England. 

And  there  awhile  it  bode;  and  if  a  man 
Could  touch  or  see  it,  he  was  healed  at  once, 
By  faith,  of  all  his  ills.     But  then  the  times 
Grew  to  such  evil  that  the  holy  cup 
Was  caught  away  to  Heaven,  and  disappeared. 

—Tennyson,  "The  Holy  Grail." 

It  was  a  favorite  and  holy  quest  with  the  knights  of 
chivalry  to  go  in  search  of  this  Holy  Grail,  and  it  is 
of  such  a  quest  that  Lowell  writes.  Read  the  poem, 
noting  the  pride  with  which  Sir  Launfal  starts  out, 
the  haughty  way  in  which  he  responds  to  the  request 
of  the  leper,  and  the  latter's  rebuke: 

Better  to  me  the  poor  man's  crust, 
Better  the  blessing  of  the  poor, 
Though  I  turn  me  empty  from  his  door; 
That  is  no  true  alms  which  the  hand  can  hold*, 
He  gives  nothing  but  worthless  gold 
Who  gives  from  a  sense  of  duty. 


138  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Sir  Launfal  returns  from  a  fruitless  quest,  an  old 
man,  worn  and  frail,  chastened  by  suffering  and 
knowing  how  to  sympathize  with  the  poor.     Again 
he  meets  the  leper  and  hears  the  request: 
For  Christ's  sweet  sake,  I  beg  an  alms; 
And  now,  not  in  pride  and  haughtiness  of  spirit,  but 
with  humility  and  in  Christ's  name,  Sir  Launfal 
shares  with  the  beggar  his  single  crust, 

He  broke  the  ice  on  the  streamlet's  brink, 
And  gave  the  leper  to  eat  and  drink. 


And  the  voice  that  was  calmer  than  silence  said, 
"Lo,  it  is  I,  be  not  afraid! 
In  many  climes,  without  avail, 
Thou  has  spent  thy  life  for  the  Holy  Grail; 
Behold,  it  is  here, — this  cup  which  thou 
Didst  fill  at  the  streamlet  for  me  but  now; 
This  crust  is  my  body  broken  for  thee, 
This  water  His  blood  that  died  on  the  tree; 
The  Holy  Supper  is  kept,  indeed, 
In  whatso  we  share  with  another's  need; 
Not  what  we  give  but  what  we  share, — 
For  the  gift  without  the  giver  is  bare; 
Who  gives  himself  with  his  alms  feeds  three, — 
Himself,  his  hungering  neighbor,  and  me. " 

After  the  supper  some  time  was  evidently  spent  in 
intimate  conversation.  Note  particularly  in  John's 
account  the  promise  of  help  after  he  was  gone  (John 
14:16,  17,  25,  26).  God's  spirit  had  always  been 
with  men  as  conscience,  prompting  to  the  right,  but 
men  had  not  always  felt  sure  what  was  right.  Jesus 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  139 

had  now  taught  them  the  true  life-principle  and 
promised  that  the  Spirit  would  in  the  future  bring  his 
teachings  back  in  such  a  way  that  they  would  under- 
stand and  be  able  to  apply  them  to  their  own  daily 
needs.  Note  also  the  new  commandment  (13:34) — 
a  commandment  that  transcends  the  former  great 
commandment  of  Luke  10:27  by  as  much  as  Jesus' 
love  transcends  any  human  love  even  for  one's  self. 
He  gave  them  also  a  test  of  love  (14:23)  which  was 
also  a  way  into  his  abiding  presence  in  the  life,  and 
showed  them  by  another  beautiful  figure  how  neces- 
sary it  was  for  them  to  have  that  fellowship  with  God 
through  him  (15:4,  5). 

Homework. — Read  Mark  14:12-26:  Luke  22:7- 
30;  John,  chap.  13.  Learn  the  quotation  from  Low- 
ell in  the  section  and  John  13:34;  14:26;  and  15: 
4,  5- 

$  38.     The  Betrayal  and  Arrest 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  14:32-52;  Matt.  26: 
36-56;  Luke  22:39-53;  John  18:1-12. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  257-59;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  V,  chap,  xii;  Bird,  Jesus 
the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  412-20;  Geikie,  Life 
and  Words  of  Christ,  chap.  Ix;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ, 
chap.  Ivii;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  chaps,  xxvi,  xxvii. 

Illustrative  material.— A  picture  of  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane  is  furnished  with  this  section.  Other 


140  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

pictures  appropriate  are  Hofmann's  "Jesus  Taken 
Captive"  (Brown  no.  806,  Perry  no.  798F,  Wilde  no. 
138);  "Christ  in  Gethsemane"  (Wilde  no.  134);  by 
Hofmann  (Brown  no.  401,  Perry  no.  7Q8E,  Wilde 
no.  136);  "The  Garden  of  Gethsemane"  (Under- 
wood ster.  nos.  3191,  3212). 

Explanatory  notes. — The  narrative  of  this  incident 
is  comparatively  simple  and  portrays  at  the  same 
time  the  human  need  and  the  divine  strength  of 
Jesus.  The  exact  site  of  Gethsemane  is  not  known, 
but  it  is  supposed  to  be  in  a  grove  of  old  olive  trees 
on  the  western  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  just 
outside  the  eastern  wall  of  Jerusalem. 

Jesus  felt  the  need  of  prayer.  To  face  certain 
death,  and  that  through  the  treachery  of  one  of  his 
intimate  associates,  was  a  severe  trial.  No  wonder 
that  he  shrank  from  it.  And  yet  it  was  a  necessary 
part  of  his  work.  Not  that  it  was  in  any  sense  a 
punishment,  either  of  him  or  imputed  to  him  from 
others.  It  was  the  inevitable  result  of  his  life  and 
work,  and  could  not  be  evaded  without  evading  a 
part  of  that  work.  Jesus  also  shows  his  need  of  hu- 
man companionship,  which  sadly  failed  him  at  this 
time.  His  words  show  that  he  felt  this  keenly. 

The  force  that  came  to  take  Jesus  was  probably 
from  the  Sanhedrin.  It  was  doubtless  composed  of 
the  temple  police  (Luke  22:52)  and  also  a  guard 
from  the  garrison  (John  18:3).  "That  the  scrip- 
tures might  be  fulfilled"  (Mark  14:49)  indicates 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  141 

Jesus'  idea  as  to  the  necessity  of  submission  as  a  part 
of  his  purpose  and  mission.  The  young  man  who 
followed  the  party  (vs.  51)  is  thought  to  have  been 
Mark,  the  evangelist. 

The  fact  that  the  crowd  fell  backward  when  Jesus 
spoke  (John  18:6)  does  not  indicate  any  miraculous 
experience.  Add  to  the  terror  of  a  guilty  conscience 
what  they  knew  of  Jesus'  reputation  as  a  doer  of 
deeds  of  power,  and  we  have  sufficient  cause  for  a 
panic  in  which  many  would  stumble  and  fall  to  the 
ground. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — The  object  in  this  sec- 
tion should  be  to  set  forth  the  story,  letting  it  make 
its  own  impression  of  Jesus'  courageous  suffering  in 
great  sorrow  and  trial.  It  shows  his  source  of 
strength  in  prayer  and  his  feeling  of  need  of  human 
sympathy  and  companionship.  The  effect  of  the 
story  should  be  to  strengthen  the  feeling  of  kinship 
with  Jesus  in  our  own  times  of  need.  The  narrative 
is  simpler  in  its  arrangement  than  that  of  the  supper, 
and  is  full  of  dramatic  interest  and  power.  Read  it 
carefully  in  the  Harmony  and  have  the  order  of  events 
well  in  mind.  Dwell  upon  it  until  the  scenes  live  in 
the  imagination.  The  supper  over,  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  retire  to  the  quiet  and  secrecy  of  this  garden, 
but  not  unseen.  Judas  was  undoubtedly  spying 
upon  their  movements  and  immediately  communi- 
cated them  to  the  Sanhedrin.  See  Jesus  under  the 
great  olive  trees,  in  the  solemn  stillness  of  the  night, 


142  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

wrestling  in  agony  of  spirit,  praying  for  grace  to  meet 
bravely  and  unselfishly  this  last  trial,  the  keenest  part 
of  which  must  have  been  the  treachery  of  his  friend. 
See  the  disciples,  weary,  and  probably  not  even  yet 
comprehending  the  seriousness  of  the  situation, 
asleep  on  the  ground.  Jesus  is  restless,  seeks  their 
sympathy  and  companionship,  and  feels  the  need  of 
it.  At  last  he  hears  the  distant  sound  of  voices, 
growing  louder  and  louder;  the  tramp  of  feet;  he 
catches  the  glimmer  of  torches  through  the  trees;  it 
is  time  to  be  going.  He  rouses  the  disciples  and 
warns  them  of  the  danger,  but  it  is  too  late.  The 
enemy  are  upon  him,  and  he  stands,  quiet,  calm,  and 
unafraid,  while  the  traitor  gives  the  signal  of  betrayal. 
The  rabble  are  half  terrified  and  might  easily  have 
been  stampeded,  but  Jesus  does  not  even  allow  re- 
sistance. He  simply  reproaches  them  for  their  own 
cowardice  in  not  taking  him  openly  while  he  taught 
in  the  temple,  and  suffers  them  to  lead  him  away. 
Draw  out  from  the  pupil  the  cause  of  the  panic  into 
which  the  crowd  fell  so  easily.  It  was  no  miraculous 
experience,  but  the  result  of  a  guilty  conscience  and 
their  fear  of  one  whom  they  knew  to  be  their  superior 
(cf.  Prov.  28:1).  The  treachery  of  Judas  may  legiti- 
mately suggest  the  possibility  of  treachery  to  Christ 
today,  when  men  who  are  known  as  Christians  so 
live  and  act  as  to  bring  reproach  upon  his  name  or 
interfere  with  his  work  for  other  men.  Judas  did 
not  really  harm  Jesus.  Jesus  was  entirely  beyond 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  143 

his  power  to  harm.     He  might  have  harmed  his  work 
with  others. 

Home  work. — Read  the  story  in  Mark  14:32-42 
and  John  18:1-12.  Learn  Mark  14:38  by  heart. 

§  39.     The  Trial  and  Crucifixion 

Scripture  narrative. — Mark  14 : 53 — 15 : 41 ;  Matt. 
26:57—27:56;  Luke  22:54—23:49;  John  18:12— 
19:20. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  259-70;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  chaps, 
xxviii,  xxix;  Edersheim,  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the 
Messiah,  Book  V,  chaps,  xii-xv ;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Car- 
penter of  Nazareth,  pp.  420-59;  Geikie,  Life  and 
Words  of  Christ,  chaps.  Ixi-lxiii;  Farrar,  Life  of 
Christ,  chaps.  Iviii-lxi;  Phelps,  The  Story  of  Jesus 
Christ,  chaps,  xvi,  xvii. 

Illustrative  material. — The  famous  picture  of  the 
"Trial  before  Pilate"  is  furnished  with  this  section. 
There  are  many  others  appropriate.  Some  of  them 
are  as  follows:  Harrach,  "Peter's  Denial"  (Brown 
no.  876,  Perry  no.  3250,  Wilde  no.  139);  Hofmann, 
"  Christ  and  Pilate"  (Brown  no.  738,  Perry  no.  797V, 
Wilde  no.  144);  Ciseri,  MEcce  Homo"  (Brown  no. 
90,  Perry  no.  1102,  Wilde  no.  143);  Dore*,  "Pilate's 
Wife's  Dream"  (Brown  no.  1817,  Wilde  no.  145); 
Hofmann,  "Bearing  the  Cross"  (Brown  no.  1050, 
Perry  no.  797W,  Wilde  no.  146) ;  besides  many  pic- 
tures of  the  crucifixion  and  attendant  scenes  which  it 


144  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

is  better  not  to  dweH  upon  too  vividly  with  young 
children.  The  following  pictures  of  the  places  asso- 
ciated with  the  story  are  of  interest:  "Jerusalem, 
Arch  of  Ecce  Homo"  (Wilde  no.  190);  "Scenes  on 
the  Via  Dolorosa"  (Wilde  nos.  287,  296,  Underwood 
ster.  no.  3286);  "Golgotha"  (Wilde  no.  234,  Under- 
wood ster.  nos.  3213,  3214). 

Explanatory  notes. — 

In  studying  the  account  of  the  trial  of  Jesus  it  is  necessary 
to  bear  in  mind  the  fact  that  it  consisted  of  two  parts:  the 
trial  before  the  Jewish  authorities,  and  that  before  Pilate. 
....  Each  evangelist  relates  the  Jewish  trial  in  his  own 
way  (with  some  variations),  ....  and  the  course  of  events 
may  with  all  probability  be  said  to  be  this:  (i)  Upon  his 
arrest  Jesus  was  hurried  to  the  house  of  Annas  for  a  pre- 
liminary and  unofficial  examination,  John  18:  12-24.  (2)  He 
was  taken  to  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  where  he  was  formally  but 
illegally  tried  by  the  Sanhedrin,  by  which  he  was  condemned; 
Mark  i  4:  53-72  and  parallels.  (Burton  and  Mathews.) 

Owing  to  the  variations  in  the  accounts  given  by 
the  different  evangelists,  it  is  essential  to  make  use  of 
the  Harmony  in  studying  this  lesson.  Read  I  John 
18:12-27,  the  trial  before  Annas  in  which  Jesus  de- 
manded the  justice  of  formal  legal  procedure  and  the 
presentation  of  witnesses.  Vss.  15-18  are  probably 
out  of  the  proper  chronological  order  here.  Mark 
14:53-72;  Matt.  26:57-75;  Luke  22:54-71  narrate 
the  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin.  If  Luke  22:66-71 
refers  to  a  different  scene  from  that  narrated  by  Mark 
and  Matthew,  we  may  suppose  the  daylight  trial  be- 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH    145 

fore  the  entire  Sanhedrin  to  have  been  preceded  by 
one  before  the  high- priest  and  the  "Small  Sanhe- 
drin," the  twenty-three  necessary  for  a  quorum. 
Probably,  however,  the  two  accounts  refer  to  the 
same  incident,  the  Sanhedrin  convening  hastily  dur- 
ing the  night  and  waiting  until  day  before  taking  for- 
mal action.  In  order  to  convict  Jesus  of  a  capital 
charge  it  was  necessary  to  produce  two  witnesses 
who  would  agree  in  their  testimony.  As  is  still  the 
case  in  oriental  countries,  it  was  possible  to  hire  wit- 
nesses who  would  swear  to  anything.  This  was 
done,  and  "not  even  thus"  did  they  agree.  Com- 
pare their  testimony  (Mark  14:58)  with  John  2:19. 
The  disagreement  of  these  witnesses  entitled  Jesus  to 
discharge.  The  high-priest  then  attempted  to  make 
Jesus  testify  against  himself — another  illegal  act 
under  their  law.  Jesus  refused  until  he  was  asked 
a  question  that  he  could  not  evade  without  being 
false  to  his  mission.  His  answer  was  a  simple  claim 
to  messiahship,  but  it  was  perverted  into  an  act  of 
blasphemy  by  his  prejudiced  judges.  This  whole 
trial  violated  the  Jewish  criminal  code  in  three  re- 
spects :  (i)  it  was  unlawful  to  try  criminals  by  night ; 
(2)  it  was  unlawful  to  pass  sentence  until  one  full 
night  had  elapsed  after  trial;  (3)  it  was  unlawful  to 
try  cases  on  the  day  before  a  sabbath  or  a  feast.  A 
very  feeble  subterfuge  was  resorted  to,  to  bring  the 
Sanhedrin  within  the  letter  of  the  law,  by  waiting 
until  morning  before  passing  sentence. 


146  THE    LIFE    OF    JESUS 

Mark  15:1-20;  Matt.  27:11-31;  Luke  23:1-25; 
John  18:28 — 19:16  narrate  the  trial  before  Pilate. 
It  was  necessary  to  secure  conviction  before  the  Ro- 
man procurator  before  the  death  penalty  could  be 
inflicted.  A  new  charge  must  be  formulated.  That 
of  blasphemy  would  receive  no  attention  from  the 
Roman.  That  of  treason  is  substituted.  Pilate  sees 
that  it  is  false,  but  finally  sacrifices  Jesus  to  save  him- 
self from  trouble.  The  order  of  events  is  as  follows : 
Jesus  brought  before  Pilate  without  definite  charge  (John  18: 

28-31). 

The  charge  of  treason  preferred  (Luke  23:2). 
Examination  and  acquittal  by  Pilate  (Luke  23:3,  4). 
Renewed  accusation  (Luke  23:5). 
Jesus  sent  to  Herod  (Luke  23:6-12). 
Second  acquittal  and  attempt  to  release  Jesus  (Luke   23: 

13-16). 
Barabbas  preferred  and  demand  for  crucifixion  of  Jesus  (Luke 

23:18-23). 

Pilate  attempts  to  hand  Jesus  over  to  the  priests  without  sen- 
tence (Luke  23:24,  25). 

After  a  final  attempt  at  release,  Pilate  finally  condemns  Jesus 
to  save  himself  from  a  charge  of  treason  (John  19:4-15). 
Jesus  is  taken  to  be  crucified  (John  19:16). 

The  notes  given  in  the  reference  from  Burton  and 
Mathews  will  be  found  especially  helpful  in  the  study 
of  this  section,  and  should  be  carefully  read. 

Mark  15:21-41  and  parallels  deal  with  the  cruci- 
fixion. This  was  the  ordinary  Roman  method  of 
capital  punishment — a  death  not  only  disgraceful,  but 
extremely  painful.  The  exact  site  of  Golgotha  is  un- 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH    147 

known.  Older  tradition  has  identified  it  with  the 
present  location  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepul- 
cher,  but  later  opinion  favors  a  spot  just  outside  the 
city  wall  where  is  a  skull-shaped  mound  containing 
a  cave  called  Jeremiah's  grotto.  The  drink  admin- 
istered to  Jesus  seems  to  have  been  something  in  the 
nature  of  an  anaesthetic  used  by  the  more  humanely 
disposed  in  such  cases.  The  statement  that  the  veil 
of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain  is  probably  a  figura- 
tive expression  of  the  idea  that,  in  the  death  of  Jesus, 
the  old  mystery  surrounding  God's  revelation  of  him- 
self was  ended.  This  event  marked  the  culmination 
of  his  complete  revelation  of  his  love  in  Christ.  The 
Holy  of  Holies  was  now  open  to  every  man  in  the 
recesses  of  his  own  heart,  no  longer  limited  to  the 
temple  alone. 

The  request  of  the  Jews  (John  19:31)  was  in  keep- 
ing with  the  law  that  one  thus  executed  should  be 
taken  down  before  nightfall,  lest  his  corpse  bring  pol- 
lution (Deut.  21:26).  It  is  another  exhibition  of 
their  punctilious  observance  of  the  non-ethical  pre- 
cepts of  the  law,  while  violating  most  hideously  the 
real  law  of  righteousness  and  love.  It  would  not  be 
strange  if  someone  had  remembered  the  words  of 
Isa.  i :  10-16. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — Either  master  the  story 
so  as  to  tell  it  consecutively  and  in  proper  order,  or 
have  the  class  read  it  from  the  accounts,  arranging 
them  in  proper  order.  Several  points  of  emphasis 


148  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

may  be  noted.  Make  clear  the  illegality  and  un- 
fairness of  the  Jewish  trial,  as  showing,  not  only  the 
entire  innocence  of  Jesus,  but  the  lengths  to  which 
prejudice  and  wrong-doing  will  carry  men  when  once 
they  give  themselves  up  to  it.  Note  the  failure  of 
their  attempt  to  convict  Jesus  of  any  wrong  before 
Pilate,  and  bring  out  as  vividly  as  possible  the  con- 
trast between  the  cowardly,  vacillating  course  of  this 
Roman  official  and  the  calm  and  steadfast  behavior 
of  his  prisoner.  What  made  the  difference?  In 
connection  with  the  crucifixion,  emphasize  as  little 
as  possible  the  revolting  details,  but  make  it  clear  that 
this  was  the  ordinary  Roman  method  of  execution  of 
criminals,  not  a  special  torment  devised  for  the  occa- 
sion. Make  it  clear  also  that  Jesus'  death  was  the 
inevitable  and  necessary  outcome  of  such  a  life  as  his, 
lived  persistently  to  the  end,  at  such  a  time  as  that 
in  which  he  lived.  He  could  not  fulfil  his  mission 
for  us  and  for  all  men  and  evade  this  end.  It  was 
simply  the  final  culmination  for  the  self-sacrifice 
which  he  had  practiced  all  his  life  long,  and  which 
he  taught  must,  in  some  degree,  be  the  lot  of  anyone 
who  would  follow  him.  Carefully  avoid  the  impres- 
sion that  this  terrible  death  was  in  any  sense  a  special 
punishment  inflicted  upon  Jesus  in  order  to  liberate 
other  men  from  the  punishment  of  their  sins.  Bring 
up  again  the  question  asked  in  connection  with  §  25 : 
What  is  the  cost  of  Christ's  service  ?  Just  how  far 
is  his  service  connected  with  suffering  today?  If 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  149 

Jesus  were  to  live  the  same  life  on  earth  today,  how 
would  he  be  treated  ?  Has  the  fact  that  he  thus 
lived  and  died  made  it  more  possible  for  us  to  live 
our  lives  on  the  principle  on  which  he  lived  his,  and 
at  the  same  time  less  likely  that  we  shall  be  put  to 
death  for  so  living  ? 

Home  work.— Read  the  story  in  this  order:  John 
18:12,  13,  19-24;  Mark  14:53-72  and  Luke  22:54- 
71;  John  18:28-31;  Luke  23:2-16;  Mark  15:6- 
n;  Luke  23:17-49;  John  19:16-37. 

§  40.     Easter  Morning 

Scripture  narrative. — Matt.  28:1-10;  Mark  16: 
1-8,  9-11;  Luke  23;  566 — 24:12;  John  20:1-18. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
of  Christ,  pp.  273-79;  282-84,289-91;  Edersheim, 
Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  V,  chaps, 
xvi,  xvii;  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap. 
Ixiv;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  pp.  462- 
66 ;  Da wson,  Life  of  Christ,  chap,  xxx ;  Farrar,  Life 
of  Christ,  chap.  Ixii ;  Sanday,  Outlines  of  the  Life  of 
Christ,  pp.  170-86. 

Illustrative  material. — Besides  the  picture  of  the 
entrance  to  a  rocky  tomb,  furnished  with  the  section, 
the  following  pictures  are  appropriate.  "Easter 
Morning,"  by  Hofmann  (Brown  no.  813,  Perry  no. 
798,  Wilde  no.  160);  Plockhorst  (Brown  no.  334, 
Perry  no.  809,  Wilde  no.  161);  Schonherr  (Brown 


150  THELlFEOFjESUS 

no.  866);  "Tomb  with  Stone  Rolled  Away"  (Under- 
wood ster.  no.  3107). 

Explanatory  notes. — It  is  difficult  so  to  arrange  the 
varying  accounts  of  the  resurrection  and  after-ap- 
pearance as  to  form  a  connected  story  of  whose 
accuracy  we  can  be  at  all  sure.  Each  of  the  evan- 
gelists seems  to  have  had  some  independent  sources 
of  information,  and  there  was  no  attempt  to  harmo- 
nize these.  For  a  full  analysis  of  the  difficulties  and 
their  explanation  consult  the  reference  to  Burton  and 
Mathews.  The  results  of  this  analysis  are  shown  in 
the  following  quotation. 

These  differences  are  sufficient  to  show  the  diversity  of 
sources  which  lie  behind  our  gospels,  and  to  render  it  probable 
that  no  one  of  these  sources  had  full  command  of  all  the 
facts — unless,  perhaps,  the  fourth  gospel  aims  to  correct  and 
supplement  the  other  accounts.  Probably,  also,  they  render 
impossible  a  chronological  arrangement  of  the  facts  which  can 
be  confidently  affirmed  to  be  the  true  one.  Yet  a  recon- 
struction which  can  claim  probability  for  itself  is  not  impos- 
sible. First,  the  supposition  that  all  the  women  came  to  the 
tomb  together,  but  that  Mary,  turning  back  before  the  others 
had  reached  the  tomb,  became  separated  from  them,  is  not 
in  itself  an  improbable  hypothesis,  and  goes  far  toward  solv- 
ing some  elements  of  the  problem.  The  story  will  then  read 
in  brief  thus:  All  the  women  came  to  the  tomb  together; 
Mary,  seeing  the  stone  rolled  away,  waits  to  see  no  more,  but 
runs  to  tell  Peter  and  John;  the  other  women  continue  on, 
enter  the  tomb,  see  the  vision  of  the  yoUng  man,  and  return 
and  bring  the  disciples  word;  Peter  and  John  come  to  the 
tomb,  not  having  met  the  women,  see  the  clothes  lying  in  the 
tomb,  and  return  home;  Mary,  coming  more  slowly,  reaches 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH    151 

the  garden,  sees  first  the  angel  and  then  Jesus;  the  other 
women  also,  perhaps  returning  under  an  impulse  similar  to 
that  which  drew  Mary,  return  and  are  met  by  Jesus;  while 
these  events  are  happening  the  two  set  out  to  Emmaus,  having 
heard  only  the  first  report  of  the  women  and  that  of  Peter  and 
John,  but  no  news  of  the  actual  epiphany  of  Jesus.  This 
reconstruction  takes  each  narrative  at  its  face  meaning,  except 
that  it  assumes  that  the  epiphany  of  Matt.  28:9,  instead  of 
occurring,  as  the  narrative  naturally  suggests,  while  the 
women  are  on  the  way  to  take  to  the  disciples  the  message  of 
the  angel,  in  fact  happened  after  that  message  had  been  de- 
livered. For  "ran  to  bring"  in  Matt.  28:8  we  in  effect  read 
"ran  and  brought."  But  the  whole  hypothesis  is  somewhat 
complicated,  and  for  this  reason  perhaps  improbable. 

A  second,  though  not  radically  different,  arrangement  may 
be  obtained  by  simply  leaving  out  of  account  those  narratives 
which  give  evidence  of  being  of  a  secondary  character,  and 
using  only  the  older  and  independent  narratives.  Thus  we 
should  set  aside,  not  only  Mark  16:9-20,  but  also  Matt.  28: 
9,  10,  the  latter  as  being  probably  simply  another  account  of 
what  is  related  in  John  20: 14  ff.,  and  retain  the  narratives  of 
Paul,  of  Mark,  of  Luke,  and  of  John.  This  yields  the  follow- 
ing order  of  events:  Mary  Magdalene  and  at  least  two  other 
women  go  to  the  tomb  on  Sunday  morning  and  find  the  tomb 
empty;  they  report  the  fact  to  the  disciples;  Peter  and  John 
go  to  investigate,  discover  that  the  tomb  is  empty,  and  report 
to  the  rest  of  the  disciples;  Jesus  appears  to  Mary,  who  has 
returned  to  the  tomb;  to  Peter;  to  the  two  going  to  Emmaus; 
on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  to  the  Twelve.  (Burton  and 
Mathews,  pp.  283,  284.) 

Suggestions  for  teaching.— The  object  of  this  is  to 
bring  out  the  story  of  the  resurrection  as  clearly  as 
may  be,  without  attempt  to  explain  what  must  be 


152  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

ever  a  mystery,  or  to  determine  the  exact  nature  of 
the  resurrection  appearances.  The  important  fact 
is  that  which  made  so  much  difference  between  the 
frightened,  discouraged,  scattered  disciples  of  Good 
Friday,  and  the  confident  and  heroic  preachers  of  the 
apostolic  church.  It  was  not  all  a  sad  mistake; 
Jesus  had  been  proven  not  a  misguided  failure,  but 
the  eternal  Son  of  God.  Definite  proof  was  given 
them  that  such  life  as  his  could  not  perish.  Perhaps 
the  impression  which  ought  to  be  made  upon  the 
minds  of  younger  children,  as  likely  to  be  of  most 
value  to  them,  is  just  this  feeling  that  Jesus'  life  was 
a  great  and  glorious  success,  and  that  even  the  death 
on  the  cross  meant  no  failure. 

Owing  to  the  complexity  of  the  accounts,  the 
teacher  should  present  the  story  in  some  connected 
form  rather  than  have  the  pupils  get  it  out  for  them- 
selves. To  attempt  the  latter  will  issue  in  confusion 
of  mind  and  direct  attention  from  what  is  really 
important  to  perplexing  details.  Dwell  upon  the 
central  element  of  the  story  until  something  of  the 
gladness  and  joy  that  must  have  graduaDy  taken 
possession  of  those  sorrowing  friends  of  Jesus  is  felt 
by  you.  This  is  a  story  that  must  be  felt  if  it  is  to 
make  its  deepest  impression  upon  the  pupil.  The 
spirit  and  meaning  of  the  resurrection  is  summed  up 
by  Paul  in  the  verses  suggested  for  memorizing  (I 
Cor.  15:55-58). 

Home  work. — Read  the  account  of  the  resurrection 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH    153 

as  given  in  Mark  16 : 1-8  and  John  20 : 1-18.    Learn 
I  Cor.  15:55-58- 

§41.     Later  Appearances 

Scripture  narrative. — Luke  24: 13-53  >  Jonn  2o:  I9~ 
21:24;  Matt.  28:16-20;  cf.  also  Mark  16:12-20; 
I  Cor.  15:5-8;  Acts  1:6-11. 

References  for  study. — Burton  and  Mathews,  Life 
0}  Christ,  pp.  274-75,  280-88;  Sanday,  Outlines  of 
the  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  186-90;  Edersheim,  Life  and 
Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  Book  V,  chap,  xvii; 
Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ,  chap.  Ixiv;  Farrar, 
Life  of  Christ,  chap.  Ixii ;  Bird,  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of 
Nazareth,  pp.  466-81 ;  Dawson,  Life  of  Christ,  chap. 

XXX. 

Illustrative  material. — A  picture  of  the  walk  to  Em- 
maus  is  furnished  with  the  section.  Another  repre- 
sentation of  the  same  scene  is  that  by  Plockhorst 
(Brown  no.  201,  Perry  no.  808,  Wilde  no.  164).  "The 
Church  of  the  Ascension  on  the  Mount  of  Olives" 
(Wilde  no.  236)  is  also  appropriate. 

Explanatory  notes.— The  order  of  events  in  this 
section  may  be  tabulated  as  follows: 

APPEARANCES  OF  JESUS 

1.  OH  the  Way  to  Emmaus  (Luke  24:13-32;    (Mark  16: 

»,  13))- 

2.  To  Peter  (Luke  24:34;  I  Cor.  15:5). 

3.  To  the  eleven  disciples  (Luke  24:36-43;  John  20:19-23; 

(Mark  16:14);  I  Cor.  15:5). 


154  THE  LIFE  or  JESUS 

4.  To  Thomas  and  the  others  (John  20:26-29;  I  Cor.  15:5). 

5.  To  seven  disciples  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (John  21: 1-24). 

6.  To  the  Eleven  on  a.  mountain  in  Galilee  (Matt.  28:16- 
ao;   (Mark  16:15-18)). 

7.  To  five  hundred  people  (I  Cor.  15:6). 

8.  To  James  (I  Cor.  15:7). 

9.  To  the  Twelve  at  his  ascension  (Luke  24:44-53;   (Mark 

16:19,  ao)). 
10.  To  Paul  (I  Cor.  15:8). 

The  meeting  and  conversation  with  the  two  on  the 
way  to  Emmaus  reveal  the  state  of  sorrowful  despair 
into  which  the  disciples  had  been  plunged.  "We 
had  hoped  it  was  he  which  should  redeem  Israel:" 
that  hope  was  crushed  now.  Nothing  but  the  resur- 
rection could  turn  this  despair  into  renewed  hope. 

The  accounts  of  the  appearances  of  Jesus,  if  we 
are  to  take  the  details  as  literally  accurate,  present 
problems  as  to  the  nature  of  his  resurrection  body 
which  must  remain  a  mystery  (cf.  Luke  24:31,  36 
with  vss,  39,  43).  But  this  need  not  concern  us. 
The  one  essential  point  is  the  reality,  not  the  nature, 
of  these  experiences. 

John  21:1-24  seems  to  be  an  appendix  to  the 
gospel  already  closed  in  20:30,  31. 

Suggestions  for  teaching. — This  section  simply  con- 
tinues the  narrative  of  the  last,  and  will  serve  to  deep- 
en the  impression  made  by  that,  just  as  the  events 
described  deepened  the  original  impression  on  the 
minds  of  the  disciples.  As  the  narrative  is  compli- 
cated and  the  story  not  quite  so  interesting  as  that  of 


LAST  DAYS  OF  JESUS  ON  EARTH  155 

the  resurrection  morning,  this  may  better  be  treated 
by  having  the  pupils  look  up  for  themselves  and  make 
a  list  of  the  various  appearances  in  tabular  form. 

Then  have  the  pupil  study  the  passages  selected 
for  special  comment,  to  bring  out  the  fact  that  in 
these  later  appearances  of  Jesus  there  was  so  much 
that  was  similar  to  things  he  had  said  and  done  be- 
fore that  it  must  have  helped  the  disciples  to  feel  the 
reality  of  Jesus'  continued  presence  and  power  in 
their  lives.  And  this  is  another  practical  lesson  in 
the  resurrection  for  us.  Not  only  does  it  set  the  seal 
of  success  upon  his  life,  it  is  a  guarantee  of  strength 
for  ours. 

Home  work. — Read  the  story  in  Luke  24:13-53; 
John  20:19-21:24;  Matt,  28:16-20,  and  I  Cor.  15: 
5-8- 

§  42.     Review  of  Chapters  VII  and  VIII 

The  review  section  not  only  will  test  the  memory 
of  the  pupil  with  reference  to  what  has  been  studied, 
but  is  also  intended  to  bring  out  the  meaning  and  re- 
lation of  some  of  the  important  points.  Note  par- 
ticularly the  comparison  of  the  two  incidents  in 
which  Jesus  teaches  the  meaning  of  eternal  life. 
Both  replies  indicate  the  necessity  of  whole-hearted 
devotion  to  God  and  his  service  among  men. 

Let  the  pupil  give  the  story  of  the  last  journey  up 
to  Jerusalem  to  keep  the  Passover,  the  healing  of  Bar- 
timaeus,  and  the  winning  of  Zacchaeus.  Be  sure 


156  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

that  some  real  meaning  of  the  Lord's  Supper  has  im- 
pressed itself.  A  custom  which  the  pupil  is  so  con- 
stantly witnessing  should  impress  its  lesson  of  loving 
fellowship  with  God  in  service. 

At  the  close  carefully  avoid  influencing  too  directly 
the  pupil's  estimate  of  Jesus'  life  and  character. 
Lead  his  thought  out,  but  let  the  estimate  be  one  of 
his  own.  If  the  course  has  made  the  right  impres- 
sion and  has  been  taught  with  the  sympathy  and 
feeling  that  it  demands,  it  should  have  made  the  story 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  so  attractive  and  precious  as  to 
give  deep  meaning  to  the  familiar  hymn  with  which 
it  doses:  " Tell  me  the  old,  old  story. "  The  dosing 
of  the  course  ought  also  to  open  an  opportunity  for 
many  friendly  and  confidential  talks  between  teacher 
and  pupil  on  the  deeper  significance  of  the  life  of 
Jesus  for  our  lives  and  characters. 


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